Newest Plutarch

The authors of the individual fictional biographies of the book were four different people: Daniil Alshits , Daniil Leonidovich Andreev , Vasily Vasilyevich Parin and Lev Lvovich Rakov , prison cell mates in the late 1940s , imprisoned in the Vladimir center . The idea of ​​the book belonged to L. L. Rakov.

At one time, the only text in the book by D. Alshits “O. D. Khripunov - the leader of the oprichnina” was mistakenly attributed to D. L. Andreev, although uncharacteristic features of the latter were quite noticeable there.

The book contains humorous biographical articles of a number of fictional characters of various times and peoples. The title of the book is connected with the work of Plutarch " Comparative biographies ." A series of biographies called "New Plutarch" was also planned to be published by Mikhail Kuzmin , with whom Rakov was close in his youth (only one book was published - the biography of Cagliostro).

After his release in the mid -1950s , L. L. Rakov produced three copies of the book, which later was used for printing.

The object of the parody is not only the biographical upheavals and characteristic historical types, mainly of the second half of the XIX - the first half of the XX century (artists, writers and epigone actors, scientists, inventors, religious figures), but also the style of the biographical text. Spoofed are sources such as gymnasium textbooks, encyclopedias, liberal "progressive" journalism of the beginning of the century, propaganda texts about the successes of Russian science and technology from the time of the "struggle against cosmopolitanism", when the "Newest Plutarch" was created (the story of the journey of the Russian balloonist Genisaretsky to Tibet) .

Several times, the prototype of the hero of the article “The Newest Plutarch” is a specific person: for example, Count A. A. Ignatiev , whose famous memoirs “Fifty Years in Service” are ridiculed in the article “Inigo di Vicenza”, M. F. Kshesinskaya , prototype of the ballerina Znobinskaya, V. D. Spasovich , portrayed as Krasovich’s lawyer, Toyotomi Hideyoshi , whose biography is spoofed in an article about Yoshihide Tachibana, Alkibiad, bred as Timei Halikarnassky.

All articles are equipped with portraits of heroes, some with additional illustrations. The text of a number of biographies includes parody "quotes" from memoirs, fiction and poetry.

• Agafonov F.A. - battle painter (L. Rakov)
• Alte Torre A.-L.-M. - Duke, statesman (L. L. Rakov)
• Byrd D.-L. - poultry breeder (V.V. Parin and L. L. Rakov)
• Varaksin N.N. (Rost. Polynsky) - poet (L. L. Rakov)
• Galbidy E. L. - philosopher (V.V. Parin)
• Gyo Nan Jion - Political and Military Leader (D. L. Andreev)
• Genisaretsky S.P. - balloonist (D.L. Andreev)
• Jones R. T. - founder of the sect of the acccerants (V.V. Parin)
• Zhanen P. - designer of superhigh-speed locomotives (L. L. Rakov)
• Znobinskaya M.F. - ballerina (L. L. Rakov)
• Izzagardiner I. - dentist (D. L. Andreev)
• Inigo di Vicenza A. B., Marquis, military figure (L. L. Rakov)
• Kwak-Ma-Lung (Browning E.A.) - missionary, wife of the leader of the Lu tribe (D.L. Andreev)
• Krasovich G.V. - lawyer (L. L. Rakov)
• Levenstern K., Baron Streichenfeld, - knight, participant of the III Crusade (V.V. Parin and L. L. Rakov)
• Leko de Lyagish M.-J.-B. - archaeologist (L. L. Rakov)
• Ligeiro E. - biochemist (V.V. Parin and L.L. Rakov)
• Menander - doctor (V.V. Parin)
• Monks W. - film actor (L. L. Rakov)
• Nishiki-Kooji Kikumaro - artist, artist and politician (L. L. Rakov)
• Noorden van D. - writer (D. L. Andreev)
• Osborne M.-B.-O. - religious activist (D. L. Andreev)
• Pinar E.-M.-A. - writer (L. L. Rakov)
• Porkutella - philosopher (V.V. Parin)
• Puchkov-Proshkin N.A. - military teacher (L. L. Rakov)
• Pshedombsky S. - painter (L. L. Rakov)
• Ramadas A. Ch. - thinker, religious and public figure (D. L. Andreev)
• Ross R. - biologist (V.V. Parin)
• Smith R. (Ricci Ray) - trainer (L. L. Rakov)
• Tachibano I. - commander and politician (D. L. Andreev)
• Timaeus of Halicarnassus - commander (L. L. Rakov)
• Umberti B. - architect ( D. L. Andreev)
• Feng Shaw D.-E. - philologist, ethnographer and traveler (V.V. Parin)
• Filippov M.N. - writer (D.L. Andreev)
• Hozenkant af X. - cultural historian (L. L. Rakov)
• Khripunov O. D. - figure of the oprichnina (D. Alshits)
• Tskhong I.M.K. - thinker and public figure (L. L. Rakov)
• Chenchi E. - Countess-actress (L. L. Rakov)
• Chetters G.V. - writer (L. L. Rakov)
• Schwarzdorf f. Morgenstral - diplomat (L. L. Rakov)
• Eriksen E. (Sigurd Mjolnir) (D.L. Andreev)
• Eskimosyants V.T., Prince - military leader (L. L. Rakov)
• Yasherkin E. L. - teacher (D. L. Andreev)
• Yasherkin P.L. - inventor (V.V. Parin and L.L. Rakov)

• Andreev D.L., Parin V.V., Rakov L. L. The Newest Plutarch: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of Imaginary Famous Figures of All Countries and Times. - M .: Moscow Worker, 1990 .-- 304 p. - ISBN 5-239-01074-9 .

• The Newest Plutarch - Library of the World Roses
• Andreev D.L. Newest Plutarch. (From the book: Andreev D. L., Parin V.V., Rakov L. L. "The Newest Plutarch")
• Sonkin V. Laughter, vocabulary and practice of tyrannical struggle: D.L. Andreev, V.V. Parin, L.L. Rakov. The Newest Plutarch // Russian Journal
• Belgorodsky M. N. The characters and realities of D. Andreev in The Newest Plutarch: hermeneutics and commentary

• Absurdopedia