Inhabited island. Be like Ilves

“Inhabited Island” was conceived by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky in the summer of 1967, after publishers refused to print their “Tale of Troika”. Later, Boris Strugatsky wrote in “Comments on the Past”: “I remember very well how, discouraged and angry, we said to each other: “Oh, you don’t want satire? Do you no longer need the Saltykov-Shchedrins? Contemporary issues don't you care? Very good! You will get a thoughtless, brainless, absolutely toothless, entertaining, without a single idea novel about the adventures of a f... chick boy, a Komsomol member of the 22nd century.”

The story was completed in May 1968 and published at the beginning of 1969 in Neva. Then the main character’s name was Maxim Rostislavsky, the Wanderer was Pavel Grigorievich: the “Germanized” names Maxim Kammerer and Rudolf Sikorsky appeared in 1971. Then, for publication in Detgiz, the Strugatskys, at the request of the censors, carried out a “titanic purge”, destroying all parallels with reality. Foot wraps and prisoners, counterintelligence, tobacco and cologne, liberals, communists and social democrats disappeared from the story. Unknown Fathers - Dad, Father-in-law and Brother-in-law, became Fiery Creators - Chancellor, Count and Baron. The Galactic Security Commission became the Galactic Security Service in its magazine version. In total, 896 corrections were made to the book. Two decades later, “The Inhabited Island” was published in the author’s edition - only the characters remained with German names.

Despite censorship removals, readers quickly discovered “undesirable associations” in the story. However, since it was considered “anti-fascist” and even “imbued with revolutionary romance,” it did not bring trouble to the authors. Then perestroika began, and “The Inhabited Island” became a fantasy. And now, when the fictional world of “The Island” and reality are becoming frighteningly similar, a film by Fyodor Bondarchuk has appeared. The film is undoubtedly successful.

In my mind - I first read “The Island” in the summer of ’69 in a magazine version - Saraksh’s world should have looked a little different. The wanderer in the story is “bald, like a butt, a brute, with round green eyes and large protruding ears, in an eternal ridiculous jacket to the knees,” and the underground fighter Tik Fescu, nicknamed Vepr, is “a dry, wiry, crippled old man,” whose role is clearly not for Gosha Kutsenko, just like the role of the underground fighter Bird - Ordi Tader (in the book she is “white and almost transparent”) - is not for Anna Mikhalkova. “Red Face” Zef wears a remarkable beard in the book, but Sergei Garmash’s hero does not. The Strugatskys' Funk is fat, with a square, flaky face and red, puffy eyes. The Pied Piper's gang, which Maxim deals with, in the book consists of "wet, pathetic and stooped" characters, but in the film they resemble ninjas. And the Guard seems to have been copied from the American Starship Troopers.

Apparently, wanting to modernize the plot, Bondarchuk included something in his film that was missing from the story. Thus, the Unknown Fathers “put in place the bastards who, after the collapse of the empire, grabbed the fat pieces.” And Saraksha’s neighbors - Khonti and Pandey - are “our former provinces, we have the same history with them, and they will never be able to forgive us for this” (in the book, the Khonti people are “the worst external enemies of our state, before the war they obeyed us, and now take vicious revenge"). And the television announcer reports that the troops “repulsed the aggressor in response to the attack on the border guards”...

All this does not change the assessment of the film, which conveys the main thing - the image of a totalitarian world, where power rests on “brainwashing”, devotion to leaders and hatred of “geeks” who are immune to the radiation of the “towers”, causing them to “lose the ability to critically analyze reality.” Where everything is put at the service of the State, which has undivided power over the life of everyone. Where extreme poverty in the "Underprosperous Areas" is combined with a fanatical belief in the need to devote all efforts to defense needs. Where they say about the fallen provinces: “Return the reptiles to the fold, having first severely punished them.”

I will be waiting for the second film with interest, although the Strugatskys’ “Inhabited Island” will end mid-sentence - when Maxim, having destroyed the Center that controls the zombifying radiation, understands that the hardest part is just beginning.

Boris Strugatsky: “But there is still a second part...”

- How different is the movie from the book?

The excessive exoticism of the clothes is a bit of a hindrance. On Saraksha, people dressed like we did in the late forties. And they behaved like us (if not in fits of enthusiasm). And the guardsmen looked more like NKVD soldiers, and not like American paratroopers. But the overall impression is without any dissonance.

- What fragments of the book that were not included in the film were it fundamentally important to show?

I've only seen the first part so far. I have no serious comments.

-How do on-screen characters match your ideas about them?

Of course, Mak, Wanderer, Smart Guy, Zef are in place. Guy, Rada, Chachu could have been brighter. Funk, Vepr, Ordi disappointed... General impression rather good.

In the book, Maxim, who has just appeared on Saraksha, is very different from Maxim at the moment of his escape from hard labor, which ends the first film. But the on-screen hero does not change.

Yes it is weak point film. But there is also a second part - it is there that the final transformation of an inhabitant of the World of Noon into a person of the Disfigured World takes place. Let's see…

- How understandable will the film be to those who have not read the book?

I am afraid that much will be misunderstood, and some will remain incomprehensible. The concept of the World of Noon will pass by the consciousness of most young people. I’m already receiving puzzled letters: why doesn’t Mac know that you have to pay for food in a cafe? You can't get food if you don't work. As a last resort, you must present a certificate stating that you have worked well and have the right to eat. I’m not sure that the mass audience will understand who is “geek” and who is not. Why do the Fathers respect the Wanderer so much? I believe that many viewers will not understand that the Traveler is preparing a universal “painkiller” for his superiors. And so on.

Khonti and Pandeya are former colonies of the empire, towards whom hatred is carefully cultivated on Saraksha. Against the backdrop of conflicts with Georgia and Ukraine, it sounds more than modern.

This is, of course, a phenomenon common to all empires. You don't have to be a prophet to predict this.

Did England hate India or Australia, Spain - the Netherlands and Cuba, and Portugal - Brazil or Angola?

How did the descendant peoples relate to Turkey? And Algeria and Vietnam - to France? It all depends on the circumstances - what the empire was like, how it treated the conquered. In any case, hostility towards the former metropolis is a common phenomenon.

- What about hostility towards former colonies?

Well, don't forget about the "towers"! Both for them and for us. Without the “towers,” the severity of hostility would have dropped by many degrees. And in general, the basis of hostility is, on the one hand, a relict desire to restore the lost status quo, and on the other, an equally acute fear that the status quo will begin to be restored. If not for this dichotomy, Russia's relations with former colonies were approaching ideal. And Russia would generally have a completely different image in the world.

Organization "Communists of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region“made a claim: the film does not reflect the communist views of Maxim, who helps the “underground communists” on Saraksha.

Somersaults of propaganda. Today it is important for ideologists that the words “communism”, “underground revolutionary”, “Marxism”, “social democracy” be heard more often in the film, but forty years ago it was required that there be fewer such words (ideally, none at all) , so that the reader will not be able to establish the similarity between Saraksh and Mother Earth.

Today in Russia there are many people who, as in Saraksha, have a suppressed ability to critical perception reality. Maybe the “towers” ​​are already standing, but we don’t know about it?

They are certainly worth it, and we are well aware of them. There is just no need for psi generators and any “wave” science fiction. The friendly and consistent work of the media is quite enough.

Were you not surprised by the film adaptation of one of the most anti-totalitarian books by the Strugatskys, and even by a director favored by the authorities?

I don't see anything surprising in this idea. The novel, in my opinion, just begged to be shown on the screen, and this was either the third or the fourth attempt at a film adaptation. It turned out to be the best of all film adaptations. Honor and praise to Fyodor Bondarchuk and his “gang” for their honest, fearless and incredibly difficult work.

Very briefly Distant future. While exploring the depths of space, a young earthling crashes on an unfamiliar planet and tries to save the locals from dictatorial rule.

Part one. Robinson

While exploring space, earthling Maxim Kammerer crashes and lands on an unknown planet. Maxim remains unharmed, but his ship explodes and he ends up in the forest. The atmosphere is breathable, the environment is similar to that on earth.

After some time, Maxim meets several aborigines who take him to a prison camp and interrogate him. Having not received answers from him and not understanding his language, Maxim, accompanied by guardsman Guy Gaal, is sent to a certain institution.

Maxim spends several days there, hoping for full contact with the inhabitants of the planet, but this does not happen. (It would later turn out that this was a television studio copying his unusual mentograms (memories) to include them in an entertainment television program.) He is already thinking about escaping, but one day he is picked up from the center by an unknown man named Funk and taken to the city. On the way, Fank becomes ill, he is pulled out of the car, and Maxim is left alone. After walking around the city, he enters a diner where he meets a young waitress, Rada Gaal. He accompanies her home. Along the way, they are attacked by armed bandits. Using the supernatural for ordinary people physical abilities earthlings of the future, Maxim easily copes with them.

The Rada brings him home. Her brother, already familiar to Maxim Gai Gaal, and uncle Kaan also live there.

At this time, Funk is looking for him on behalf of his leader, the Wanderer, a very influential man.

Part two. Legionary

Thanks to Guy Gaal, Maxim enters the Guard (Combat Legion) as a candidate for active rank and file.

The inhabitants of this planet are sure that they live on inner surface spheres, in the only one of existing worlds, and the rest of the Universe is filled with solid matter. The reason for this is the features of the atmosphere, due to which the surface of the planet appears concave, and starry sky not visible. Maxim's attempts to explain the real state of affairs could lead to him being declared crazy. He says he has lost his memory. Those around him believe that he is a savage or a mutant from distant lands. They call him "Mak Sim".

There are several countries on the planet: Khonti, Pandeya, the Island Empire, the Country of the Fathers, which Maxim ended up in, and several others. Previously countries there was more, and civilization was developed, then a nuclear war began, leading to devastation and pollution huge territories, savagery and degradation of a large number of people. The remaining countries are constantly at war with each other.

When the economy is lousy, the best thing to do is start a war to shut everyone down at once.

According to the official doctrine, the majority of the population supporting the rulers of the country - the wise and fair “Unknown Fathers”, who managed to stop civil war, are opposed by “geeks” - cruel outcasts trying to destroy PBZ (anti-ballistic defense) towers, bribed neighboring states Khonti and Pandey. Geeks can be recognized by headache attacks.

Maxim is impressed by the sincere enthusiasm with which the population supports the Unknown Fathers and the guard, and Guy Gaal, his sister and uncle are sympathetic.

Probably, this world was quite complex and governed by many laws, but Maxim had already discovered one - and the main - law for himself: do what everyone else does, and in the same way as everyone else does.

Guards captain Chachu assigns Maxim a “test of blood”: he orders the condemned degenerates to be shot. But Maxim lets them go and refuses to obey the captain. Chacha shoots Maxim, but he survives thanks to his phenomenal ability to regenerate.

At this time, the Unknown Fathers, concerned about the economic situation in the country and the spread of their influence abroad, decide on the issue of war with Khonti. Smart Guy, the State Prosecutor, is in favor of war.

Part three. Terrorist

Maxim finds the underground, and they tell him what Khonti and Pandey have ballistic missiles no, but on the southern border there is only a desert inhabited by dying mutants. The towers are needed in order to cause headaches among geeks with their radiation and set the rest of the population against them. The underground has been trying to destroy the towers for twenty years.

Maxim considers this activity pointless, but agrees to participate in blowing up the tower. The tower is blown up, but four underground workers die. The operation turns out to be a trap for the security forces. Maxim runs away and returns to Guy and Rada Gaal's apartment, tells them what he has learned, but they do not allow the idea that the Unknown Fathers are mistaken or lying.

Maxim, Guy and Radu are arrested.

Freedom is like air or like health - while it is there, you don’t notice it and don’t understand what it’s like without it or outside of it.

Together with the captured degenerates, they are sent to clear the southern borders of the old military equipment and mines, destroy mutants and build a network of security forces further south.

Having learned about this, the Stranger asks the State Prosecutor to hand Maxim over to him. The prosecutor agrees, but after studying Mak Sim's case and being amazed by it physical characteristics, orders the exiled person to be immediately brought to him, and the Wanderer to be informed of Maxim’s death.

Part four. Convict

In the camp, Maxim ends up in the detachment of Zef, a geek who was once the famous psychiatrist All Zef. By chance he discovers the Fortress (no longer working command post control of military equipment) and meets golovans - creatures with large heads, similar to dogs. After this, on vacation, underground fighters Vepr and Zef tell him the whole terrible truth about the towers. The radiation from the Towers constantly has a hypnotic effect on people, forcing them to blindly believe government propaganda and follow the orders of their rulers. Twice a day it intensifies, causing people to euphoria and enthusiastic admiration of the authorities. A small part of the population, called degenerates, is not affected by radiation, but when it increases, they experience terrible pain. The ruling elite consists of degenerates. The goal of some underground leaders is to destroy the tower system and rid the population of being duped; other underground leaders want to seize control of the towers for their own purposes. That is why the purpose of the towers is hidden not only by the authorities, but also by the leadership of the underground.

Maxim decides to escape from the camp. The territory is not guarded, but there is radiation around, so the prisoners cannot escape. Maxim is not afraid of radiation, and he escapes in an old tank. Having escaped and picked up Guy, who was exiled to the border by chance, along the way, Maxim finds himself in the south in a scorched atomic war a desert where mutant people live, suffering from radiation and oppressed by the guards and wild people from the south.

Before him was a burial ground planet, a planet on which the intelligent life, and this life was ready to completely extinguish itself at any moment.

After leaving the coverage area of ​​the towers, Maxim tells Guy the true state of affairs and convinces him that he is right.

Maxim comes to the mutants and invites them to take up arms against the Legion on the border or to attract savages from the south for this fight. But this idea fails, since mutants are weak and prefer to live extra years rather than try to radically change something. Maxim has an argument with the Sorcerer (an amazingly smart mutant) about the influence of one person on the masses of people and the ability of society to achieve freedom. The sorcerer tells him that for a successful fight, you need to be able to suppress the voice of conscience with your mind and think coldly, without unnecessary idealism.

Your conscience is spoiled... it begins to groan at the slightest inconvenience, and your mind respectfully bows to it, instead of shouting at it and putting it in its place.

Maxim decides to enter into an alliance with the Island Empire - remote country with a strong fleet, whose white submarines sometimes attack the Land of the Fathers. The leader of the mutants, Prince Duke, gives Maxim one of the last planes on the planet - a huge bomb carrier. Together with Guy, Maxim flies to the Island Empire. The plane is shot down by a remnant from the war. automatic system air defense. Maxim manages to land the downed plane on the water and save himself and Guy. Off the coast, Maxim and Guy find an abandoned white submarine, and in it - a collection of severed human heads and albums with photographs. massacres inhabitants of the Country of Fathers and mutants, reflecting the ideology of the Island Empire. It becomes clear that an alliance with the Island Empire is out of the question.

Having learned that the Country of the Fathers had started a war with the neighboring country of Khonti ( former part united empire), Maxim and Guy return. Like most prisoners, they are sent to the front to clear minefields in front of the troops. Funk finds him there, but Maxim does not agree to leave his friends. During the battle, Guy dies. Maxim manages to survive and ends up in the Institute under the leadership of the most influential member of the Traveler Government. The Wanderer himself is away.

Part five. Earthling

The war leads to the defeat of the Country of the Fathers. The state prosecutor, who was a supporter of the war, understands that for this the Fathers must execute him in a few days. He finds Maxim and reports the coordinates of the Center, which controls the entire system of towers. According to his plan, Maxim must penetrate the Center and switch the radiation system to a depression field, from which the entire population of the country will become temporarily powerless, then put a tape in the radio studio calling for a revolt against the Unknown Fathers and switch the radiation from depression to normal, as a result of which people should rebel and overthrow their power, and recognize Maxim as ruler. The prosecutor offers to be his adviser.

Politics is the art of washing clean with very dirty water.

Maxim agrees, but acts in his own way and completely blows up the Center, after which he enters into battle with the unexpectedly appeared Stranger, whom he considers the main villain.

It turns out that the Wanderer is earthling Rudolf Sikorski, an employee of Galactic Security, and Rada is alive and in his residence. The Wanderer accuses Maxim of ruining his carefully prepared plan for saving the planet Saraksh with his actions, and points out his mistakes. Thus, radiation starvation sometimes ends in schizophrenia; to restore the economy and economy, decontamination of almost all the planet’s soil is required; famine and inflation are approaching the state. In addition, the Island Empire is preparing a major invasion of the Fatherland, which can be stopped without “black radiation” (radiation that causes severe depression) seems difficult.

Maxim declares that he will remain on the planet, and his main goal is to prevent anyone from building zombie towers again. Otherwise, he is ready to obey Rudolf. Sikorski doesn't mind.

Plan:

Introduction

• 1 History and government
• 2 Country of Unknown Fathers and Earth
Notes

Introduction

"Country of Unknown Fathers"(in the censored version “Country of Fiery Creators”) - a state located on the planet Saraksh in fantasy novel A. and B. Strugatsky “Inhabited Island”. Also mentioned in the story “The Beetle in the Anthill.” The actual title (if there is one) is not mentioned in the novels.

1. History and government

The Country of Unknown Fathers arose in the central part former Empire several decades before the events described in the work. As a result of the coup, a group of people calling themselves “Unknown Fathers” came to power; accordingly, the state in the book is called the Country of Unknown Fathers (in Saraksha the word “unknown” was used as a synonym for the words “modest”, “not famous”). Political parties no, the regime is totalitarian. The Unknown Fathers fight for power with each other, which is why the composition of the group is unstable: some are expelled from this group, and new ones are taken in their place.

In order to gain greater control over the population, the so-called system is constantly expanding. anti-ballistic defense towers, which are actually a source of hypnotic radiation to suppress the will and critical mood of the population. Twice a day, the radiation intensifies, causing euphoria and enthusiastic admiration among the population for superiors at all levels, from army commanders to Unknown Fathers. The population warmly supports the Unknown Fathers.

About 1% of the population has a paradoxical reaction to radiation. Normal radiation does not affect them, but increased radiation causes painful attacks of headaches. These people are called “degenerates,” persecuted, denigrated in official propaganda, and raided. However, some degenerates are allowed to exist legally. At the same time, almost all government officials are also degenerates. Some geeks participate in the underground, destroying towers.

The Country of Unknown Fathers borders the breakaway states of Khonti and Pandea from the former Empire; in the south lies a lifeless desert, scorched as a result atomic bombings, with rare settlements. The state is in a state of constant confrontation with its neighbors (as the narrative progresses, the confrontation develops into war); from time to time it is attacked by landing groups of the Island Empire - a state located far overseas on a group of islands. Official trade relations has no neighbors.

2. Country of Unknown Fathers and Earth

At the time of the story, he has no official contacts with earthlings. Moreover, the population of the country (like Saraksha as a whole) is unaware of the possibility of the existence of other worlds.

Unofficial representatives of the Earth in the Land of Unknown Fathers at the time of the story:

1. Wanderer (Rudolf Sikorsky, employee of COMCON-2, Progressor) - an influential member of the Government, head of the Institute, researcher of “white radiation”, developer of a system for protecting against it.

2. Mak Sim (Maxim Kammerer, researcher from the Free Search Group (GSP), crashed on Sarakshe) - guardsman, prisoner, employee of the Wanderer Institute. Subsequently he worked for Sarakshe as a Progressor.

3. There is supposed to be a specific group of people working under overall command Rudolf Sikorsky, however, there is no mention of either quantitative or quality composition the group was not noticed in the books.

In the year 2158 (later described), a group of earthling scientists arrived on the planet, secretly for the aborigines, to study the golovans and the areas beyond the Blue Snake River. The group included Lev Abalkin, at that time an intern who began researching the Golovan race, Gennady Komov, certain Marta, Rawlingson, Tarascon and, possibly, others.

Notes

1. In Leonid Filippov’s story “The Day of the Angel,” written as part of the project Time of Students, the successor state of the Land of Unknown Fathers is called the Republic of Oda - books.rusf.ru/unzip/add-2003/xussr_ty/filipl11.htm?6/12

The name of the planet in the language of the Land of the Fathers means “World”.

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Subtitles

Origin of the name

Description

General information, planetography

Saraksh is a terrestrial planet with an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, in many ways very similar to the Earth. However, the planet's atmosphere has an unusually high refraction, giving the observer the impression that the planet's surface is concave. The upper layers of the atmosphere are very dense and opaque, constantly phosphorescent, as a result of which neither the luminary nor the stars are accessible to observation from the surface of the planet. The planet's climate, flora and fauna are similar to those on Earth. In the novel “The Beetle in the Anthill” the satellite Saraksha is mentioned:

This is all the more strange since it is impossible to see the moon in his native Saraksha due to atmospheric refraction...

There is only one continent on the planet. In the opposite hemisphere there are three large archipelagos located in the Antarctic zone.

Saraksh are inhabited by two sapiens: humanity, whose representatives are practically indistinguishable from earthlings, and kinoids, called “golovans” (kinoids appeared, possibly, as a result of long-term radiation exposure).

People

People inhabit both the Mainland and the Islands. State of the art human civilization Saraksha is comparable to the second half of the 20th century on Earth (in the film adaptation it is comparable to our modern Earth). The civilization can be described as urban and technologically advanced. You can note the presence telephone communication, television, cars with internal combustion engines (or even fuel cells), railway transport, aviation, nuclear technology, as well as mentoscopic technology. Development has progressed relatively far nuclear energy: Nuclear power plants on tanks and self-propelled launchers were the pre-war norm.

The level of military equipment is very peculiar: on the one hand, the technology approximately corresponds to the 1950s in terms of the level of development of combat vehicles, on the other hand, there is fairly high automation. Even before the World War (that is, more than 24 years before the events described in the book), fully automated fortified areas (controlled by supercomputers) were created on the Mainland, including automatic firing points, fully automated anti-aircraft missile systems and automatic self-propelled vehicles moving along given routes. OTRK launchers.

There is also a rather poorly developed air transport: mention is made of flying platforms (i.e., hovercraft), helicopters (on which Guy Gaal made one of his two flights), as well as the E. I.V. ... Mountain Eagle" - a large bomber aircraft. True, numerous automatic air defense systems and heavy losses industry in previous wars, at least in official articles of the Country of the Fathers it was reported that the towers were supposed to protect against raids by Honti bombers. However, neither Khonti nor Pandey had aviation, although at least Khonti has a significant number of tactical missiles. Jet aircraft are not shown in the novel, but it is known that cruise and ballistic missiles existed. It can be assumed that after the war large number self-guided anti-aircraft guns devoid of control and large arsenals of tactical missiles made the development and maintenance of combat aviation pointless in all countries of the Mainland, while helicopters and flying platforms in Guy’s memoirs were associated with raids on Vyrodkov in the interior regions.

The strange cosmography of the inhabitants of Saraksh, as well as all sorts of other deviations from the course of “earthly” civilization, led to a very uneven and unusual development of their sciences and technologies. On the one hand - excellent mnemonics, on the other - rather poor electronics. Powerful psychotronic weapons - and weak aviation. Etc. Therefore, “our” reader, and even more so, Maxim, should be left with a rather strange impression of their technique. And the Fortress is the remains of a powerful long-term automated defensive line “like the Mannerheim Line,” which earthlings could build today, if such a crazy idea suddenly occurred to them. However, given the sluggish development of aviation, such a line on Saraksh could have a certain military meaning.

Due to the peculiarities of the atmosphere on Saraksha, the generally accepted idea is that people live on the inner surface of a huge gas-filled ball in the infinite firmament of the Universe (that is, their world seems to the aborigines to be the only “inhabited island” of the Universe), in the central part of which certain processes take place, determining the daily and annual cycles. However, for practical purposes, in particular for calculating the trajectories of ballistic missiles, the theory has been accepted that Saraksh still has the shape of a ball and people live on outside planets.

Civilization survived a global nuclear war, as a result of which a significant part of the population died, vast territories in the central part of the Continent became uninhabitable, and most of the states of the planet died. The novel mentions states that remain on the northern tip of the Mainland: the Country of the Fathers, Khonti and Pandey, as well as the Island Empire located on the islands of the opposite hemisphere.

Country of unknown fathers

Main article: Country of unknown fathers

The Country of the Fathers (its own name is not mentioned) represents the remains great Empire, which once controlled most of the Mainland. After defeat in the war and the loss of vast territories, including the former central regions, the country remained in anarchy until the Unknown Fathers (a group of anonymous financiers and senior military officers) took power into their own hands, using the so-called “white radiation” (see below) ) established almost complete control over the country's population. From the south, the country is limited by a belt of forests and the Blue Snake River. The government is trying to extend its power to the south by building radiation relay towers.

The country's population is forty million people.

Types of radiation

White radiation, discovered in the Country of the Fathers before the war or shortly after it, has two varieties. A-radiation affects the vast majority of Saraksh people in such a way that they lose the ability to critically analyze the surrounding reality and are easily manipulated. However, about 1% of the population is not exposed to such effects at normal radiation intensity, but at increased intensity they experience severe headaches. For most, the increased intensity of radiation causes a state of euphoria combined with a willingness to carry out any orders. B-radiation, or depression field, causes a state of deep depression. There is a discrepancy here: at the end of the work this type of radiation is called Black radiation. Prolonged exposure to the field of white radiation is addictive, and the cessation of constant exposure to radiation causes a state of “radiation starvation”, similar to withdrawal syndrome, which in 20% of cases leads to schizophrenia. People who are not exposed to A-radiation, and thus not subject to government propaganda, according to social sign can be divided into three unequal groups. The so-called “elite”, including the Unknown Fathers. “Legal degenerates” are mostly wealthy people, and others who conduct anti-government and terrorist activities, declared enemies of the nation by the Unknown Fathers. Physiological reaction They all have the same response to radiation (severe headaches that cannot be completely relieved by any means). It should be recalled that the Unknown Fathers themselves are “geeks.” They also suffer from increased radiation intensity, but are forced to endure it in the name of maintaining power, and at the same time are actively looking for means to, if not completely overcome it, then at least temporarily weaken it. Local terrorists are also looking for such means, while such pharmaceuticals, with a duration of action in minutes, already exist, but they are clearly not enough to resist for the entire duration of intense radiation. A system of radiation relay towers stretched throughout the country, which official version calls it the “PBZ system” (Anti-Ballistic Protection System), provides a round-the-clock impact on the entire population of the Country of the Fathers. Twice a day, at ten o’clock in the evening and at ten in the morning, the intensity of A-radiation increases, which allows, on the one hand, to increase the impact on the population, on the other hand, to detect “degenerates” in houses by physiological reaction.

White radiation has no effect on earthlings.

Southern territories

To the south of the forest belt there are huge deserts, scorched during nuclear war. In the strip between forests and desert live tribes of mutants - descendants of the survivor local population. Almost all mutants are “degenerates”, have poor health and gradually die out.

Khonti and Pandey

Khonti and Pandeya are former dependent territories of the Empire, which separated after the war to form own states. Both countries are located north of the Land of the Fathers and are in a state of permanent cold war and with the former metropolis, and with each other. Total population(according to Fatherland estimates) of both countries is about 50 million. State system, probably bourgeois-democratic republics.

In Khonti, after gaining independence, the civil war (started, perhaps, as a result of the subversive activities of the Country of the Fathers) does not stop. The internal instability of Khonti and the fear of possible intervention in the Khonti conflict from the more stable Pandey eventually lead to open aggression from the Unknown Fathers using tactical tactics on both sides nuclear weapons. As a result of this war, the Country of the Fathers was defeated (possibly due to the activities of Maxim Kammerer, judging by some data, who revealed to the Khontians a vulnerable place in military vehicle Unknown Fathers - complete dependence advancing army from mobile emitters).

It’s unlikely that you can have serious reasons,” the Father-in-law said softly. - You’re just tempted by the cheapness of the solution, I understand you, but northern problem small means cannot be solved. There you can't get by with either putches or coups. The brother-in-law who came before you separated Khonti, and now we have to unite again... Putches - putches, and this way you can play out until the revolution. It's not the same with us as with us.

Pandey is mentioned much less frequently in the novel, but, obviously, is in relative order. During the meeting of the Unknown Fathers, it was feared that Pandea might intervene in the civil war in Khonti, uniting both countries against the Country of the Fathers, and that her regime was quite strong and stable (and could not be overthrown as easily as Khonti's). During the war between Khonti and the Country of the Fathers, Pandey's government took a neutral position, declaring that Pandey was satisfied with any solution to the conflict.

Island Empire

Situated on two archipelagos in the opposite Saraksha hemisphere from the Mainland, the Island Empire controls the world's oceans through powerful submarine fleet (white submarines). The islanders regularly stage landings from submarines, carrying out punitive actions against the population of the coastal areas of the Mainland with terrifying inhumanity. The Country of the Fathers kept tank detachments of the Battle Guard and patrol boats on the coast and used White Radiation to throw submariners off course; the number of submarines that broke through was insignificant. The Stranger told Maxim that due to the destruction of the relay network, the Empire would stage a full-scale invasion. Events following the narrative period and mentioned several times in the story “A Beetle in an Anthill”: The Island Empire made at least two attempts at a massive invasion of the Mainland. Maxim recalled that the first earthly expedition arrived when he repelled the first invasion. Guy's commander, captain Chachu, became famous for winning an artillery duel between his tank and a white submarine. He considered Maxim a secret agent of the Island Empire.

Other states

Before the war, at least several dozen states, both autonomous and colonial, existed on Saraksh. During the World War, most of them were completely destroyed (excluding the north of the mainland). It is possible that some states could have survived beyond the radioactive desert in the southern part of the continent. However, there is no information about any connection with them.

It is suggested that some kind of state was created by mutants living in the radioactive deserts of the South.

The novel also mentions that (according to radio reports) a certain principality of Ondol “still exists, and, moreover, continues to carry out predatory raids on the island of Hazzalg.” The majority of the population of the Country of the Fathers has no idea about these geopolitical entities.

Golovany

The race of golovans - intelligent dog-like creatures - probably arose as a result of a mutation of one of the dog species after a nuclear war. Golovans live in southern forests. They differ from dogs in their increased head size, which is why they got their name. The mutants living on the borders of the forests call them “ghouls” and are extremely afraid of them. Although, obviously, “ghouls” are also mutants, but not human, but “Golovanov’s”.

Activities of earthlings on Saraksha

The main purpose of the intervention of earthlings on Saraksha was to prevent the final death of local humanity. For this purpose, the Committee of Galactic Security of the Earth introduced its agents in the Country of the Fathers, Khonti and Pandey, trying to bring it to key positions in the management of states. Attempts to penetrate into the Island Empire remained unsuccessful with the exception of the missions of Maxim Kammerer and partially Lev Abalkin. The head of the station on Saraksha was Rudolf Sikorsky, who became a kind of adviser to the Unknown Fathers under the name Wanderer and headed the Department of Special Research, controlling scientific developments, including those associated with white radiation.

Sikorski's plans were significantly upset by the appearance of Maxim Kammerer in the Country of the Fathers. Maxim believed that he had discovered a previously unknown habitable planet(apparently, the existence of Saraksh on Earth was classified) when his ship was shot down in upper layers atmosphere and destroyed after landing. Having become close to local underground degenerates, Maxim learned about white radiation and considered it his duty to destroy this system. Before Sikorski could stop him, Maxim blew up the Relay Tower Control Center, which likely greatly destabilized Fatherland. Subsequently, Kammerer became an employee of Sikorsky, worked under his leadership at Saraksha, and later organized successful operation to penetrate the Island Empire.

Earthlings were also engaged in scientific research and contacts with golovans on Saraksha.

The Donetsk publishing house "Stalker" published (with the support of the Moscow AST) the third volume of the series under common name"Unknown Strugatskys". This volume is not yet the finale of the “long-running” project of the international group “Ludens”, which studies the work of the science fiction brothers and publishes materials on the topic.

The city of Donetsk has become the unofficial capital for publishing activities“Ludenov” because it was the local “Stalker” who published almost an academic collected works of two modern classics fiction: twelve stark black volumes with gold lettering were released between 2000 and 2003.

First phase. Twelve Black Books

The release of this collection was facilitated by the move to Donetsk of Svetlana Bondarenko, the most authoritative textual scholar-Strugatsky scholar in the entire post-Soviet space and the main “engine” of the project.

Actually, the Donetsk “Stalker” from the first days of its existence was “tailored” for the Strugatskys: publisher Alexander Voronin initially intended to release their PSS. There was a need for it.

The first collection, published by the Moscow publishing house “Text” (1991–1993), had one advantage: it was the first. The works were published in known (that is, bitten by Soviet editors and censorship) versions, the reference apparatus was reduced to a pathetic bibliography page, the design of the artist V. Lyubarov (who realized his personal aesthetic goals) caused many sad bewilderment. Finally, the collection was not complete: a whole series of texts by the Strugatskys, primarily journalistic and literary-critical, were left out.

AST's later project, the unnumbered Worlds of the Strugatsky Brothers, was more sympathetic. The books had covers with human face" The collection of works by writers included, in addition to the traditional set of texts familiar to SF fans, some additions from the stashes of science fiction writers. As part of this collection, even the two-volume “Strugatsky Encyclopedia” (commentary on quotes and bibliography) and three volumes of “The Time of the Disciples” were published - the world of the Strugatskys through the eyes of their fellow science fiction writers (the gap between the masters and the “disciples,” alas, turned out to be gaping). However, the concept of the “History of the Future” by St. Petersburg resident Sergei Pereslegin, whose comments were published in each volume of “Worlds...”, involuntarily turned the Strugatskys’ texts into illustrations of the strange historiosophical constructions of the St. Petersburg publicist. And in terms of completeness, the AST meeting was also vulnerable.

The “Stalker” meeting was prepared in close contact with the rest of the “people” - Vladimir Borisov, Viktor Efremov, Vadim Kazakov, Alexey Kerzin, Viktor Kurilsky and Yuri Fleishman. A chronological principle was adopted - thanks to which the inquisitive reader will be able to follow the evolution of the Strugatskys' mastery. (The principle was violated only in the 8th volume, since for some time now “Ugly Swans” is only a part of the later written “Lame of Fate.”)

Each volume was accompanied by comments by Boris Strugatsky, created on the basis of the writer's diary; in each volume several pages were devoted to the literary and critical responses of contemporaries to almost every major work of science fiction writers. (“Children read, for example, the “work” of B. and A. Strugatsky “In the Land of Crimson Clouds.” It attracts them with the same sharp plot. But in general, it is a rude and stupid book. There is a fight and love story, and all sorts of obstacles, but there is no thought, no big dream flight, there is nothing from real science..." - Komsomolskaya Pravda wrote in 1960, even distorting the title of the very first book of the science fiction brothers.) In addition, the collection included - as appendices - the memoirs of editors Nina Berkova and Bella Klyueva, thanks to which many of the works of science fiction writers were still able to reach the readers.

And finally. “Distortions and corrections wandered from one reissue to another for many years,” noted Boris Strugatsky in the preface. – Therefore, the task is to restore what was lost and correct what was mutilated, return censored notes, and offer the reader source texts in the very form in which they were originally created by the authors – was, perhaps, the most important thing in preparing for the publication of this collection.” For the novel “Inhabited Island,” for example, the “Unknown Fathers” from the handwritten version were returned: in previous editions, military dictators on the planet Sarakshe were pathetically called Fiery Creators...

Second phase. The secret becomes clear

In terms of the number of texts, the Stalker collection has become as complete as possible, but it does not include fragments, drafts and variants. Meanwhile, the world of the Strugatskys is a whole universe, arranged thanks to the imagination of writers and densely populated. For half a century science fiction writers have had an army of fans all over the world. This group of readers is attracted not only by the canonical versions of famous novels and stories, but also by the very process of their origin. Variants, manuscripts, publication history - all this is of almost mystical interest for Strugatsky lovers.

As you know, the eldest of the brothers, Arkady Natanovich, passed away a decade and a half ago, and the youngest, Boris Natanovich, resisted the pressure of the “people” for a long time, not wanting to flaunt his writing skills. “These are drafts... unfinished... unprocessed,” the master told Svetlana Bondarenko. “It’s a shame to sign such texts when publishing them...” The “Unknown Strugatskys” project turned out to be the result of a compromise: the writer nevertheless allowed the publication of materials from the archive, but only as an illustration for textual studies of the “Ludens.”

Svetlana Bondarenko honestly fulfilled this condition and placed everything she wanted to publish at the very core of the comments made by “people”. The first book, “From “The Land of Crimson Clouds” to “It’s Hard to Be a God,” was published at the end of last year, the second book, “From “Monday...” to “Inhabited Island,” was published in the spring of this year, and the last one is today, “From “Hotel...” to “For a Billion Years...” - mid-summer - 2006.

Today's reader is witnessing “from what rubbish” famous things grew, HOW far the final version could deviate from the original plan. For example, “Snail on the Slope” arose from the ruins of a harmonious but ordinary plot about adventures on the planet Pandora. “The Guy from the Underworld” was born from a film script that never became a film (which is for the best, commentators say). "Inhabited Island" is one of the most powerful and dark novels Strugatsky - was supposed to be an entertaining trifle, a kind of bone thrown to the censors... And so on and so forth: there are a lot of surprises and surprises.

A separate story is editing. It’s hard for a person of the 21st century to imagine how many stages of editing, from plot-forming to anecdotal (since the early 60s, editors, for example, demanded that the Chinese be erased!) works had to go through on the way to printing press, and later - also on the way from the relative freedom of magazine versions to book editions (those were under the special sight of censors - both “for service” and “for their liking”).

From volume to volume, reading becomes more entertaining and instructive. We see how the “ moral character"of the people of the future (their frivolity inspired suspicion in the editors, their strong expressions - horror), how carefully voluntary or involuntary allusions were weeded out (for example, Merlin's story from the story "Monday Begins on Saturday" previously contained clearly impassable and completely hooligan passages like: "And they we got to big lake, and Arthur sees: a hand rose from the lake, calloused and his own, and in that hand there was a sickle and a hammer..."). The section dedicated to the “Hotel “At the Dead Climber”” includes the most malicious article by Saratov resident Vadim Kazakov “After the fifth glass of coffee” - a story about how idiot editors worked on the text, preparing a “non-alcoholic” version of the story and at times bringing the plot to the point of absurdity.

Publication book edition"Roadside Picnic" - one of the most famous stories of science fiction writers - requires special mention. In the Leningrad "Aurora" the work was published in 1972, but the author's collection "Unassigned Meetings" (of which "Picnic..." was a part) was born in 1980, as a result of the authors' struggle with the publishing house of the Komsomol Central Committee "Young Guard" .

The example with “Roadside Picnic” is blatant, but, in fairness, it should also be said that sometimes the very fact of censorship in the USSR contributed to improving the final version of the text: the authors strained their imagination and showed ingenuity, adjusting the realities and elements of the plot, trying to get around the “obstacles” and slingshots." The immediacy faded away, but depth was added. Something appeared that made the works topical even today - in different conditions, in another country... However, as one of Strugatsk’s favorite characters said, “that’s a completely different story.”