Fidler, Arkady

Arkady Adam Fidler was born on November 28, 1894 in Poznan in the family of the famous publisher of those years, the publisher Anthony Fiedler. The atmosphere of veneration of literature and mother tongue, love of nature reigned in the future writer’s family, largely predetermined his hobbies and addictions, and, ultimately, his entire future life path. He graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow , and then from the Universities of Berlin and Poznan, where he studied natural sciences.

He made his first journeys in 1927 to Norway and in 1928 - across the ocean, into the jungle of southern Brazil, where he spent more than a year. Then he saw the light and his first books about these travels. In 1933 - 1934 he took a new trip to the eastern regions of Peru, to the Amazon, about which he writes the book "Fish sing in Ukayali." The book becomes a sensation, translated into fifteen languages ​​of the world and withstands 32 editions. To Fidler come recognition and fame. In 1935, the Polish Academy of Literature crowned it with a laurel wreath for scientific and literary activities.

For his scientific, public and literary activities A. Fidler was awarded many literary prizes and government awards, including the State Prize of Poland of the I degree and the highest order of the country - the Order of Builders of People's Poland. By right, he also earned the unique “Order of the Smile”, established in Poland , awarded by children to science, culture and art for their particularly valuable achievements in caring for the health and happiness of children. Indeed, the scientific and literary contribution of A. Fiedler to the enlightenment of children and youth, to the issue of educating them in the spirit of internationalism, love of nature is truly difficult to overestimate.

Over his long life A. Fidler made about thirty long trips, lasting a year or more, to different countries and the most exotic corners of the planet: to Norway and Canada , the Far East , the Caucasus and Yakutia , to the jungle of Brazil , Guyana and Peru , to Mexico and the islands of the Caribbean and Southeast Asia, to Vietnam , Laos and Kampuchea , to Guinea , Ghana and Madagascar . The last trip - at the age of 88 years - Fiedler took to Madagascar .

And each such journey invariably gave rise to a new book, a delightful book about the flora and fauna of the country, about the life of its people, their way of life and mores. Twenty-seven books by Arkady Fidler were published in twenty-two languages ​​of the peoples of the world with a total circulation of more than nine million copies. The most famous of them: “On the Amazon”, already mentioned “Fish sing in Ukayali”, “Rio de Oro”, “Little bison”, “The hot village of Ambinanelo”, “Canada smelling of resin”, “Robinson Island”, Orinoco, White Jaguar; the stories “Two Tyres”, “Nosoha”, “Where the Fish Wander by Land”, from the collection “Beasts of the Virgin Forest”.

Fidler’s repeatedly reprinted adventure novel “The White Jaguar - the Leader of the Arawaks” (1980), dedicated to the national liberation struggle of the Venezuelan Indians in the early 18th century , was especially popular in the USSR.

Fidler’s books attract readers of different ages and professions by their social interest, sharp publicism, and the author’s indifferent attitude to the fates of people and the world around them. In this sense, the Fidler writer is revealed to the reader as a genuine humanist, patriot, and internationalist.

The Polish newspaper Literature, in an article on the work of Arkady Fiedler, wrote:

“Readers know that they will find in his books not only attractive exotic, they will find in them a good parting word in life, the ability to see beauty and good in it, to stigmatize evil; his books affirm the equality of people regardless of the color of their skin, he believes in the good beginnings of man and sees their beneficial sources in the harmony of man and nature. ”

In March 1985 - at the 91st year of his life - Arkady Fidler passed away.

• Robinson Island (1954, Wyspa Robinsona).
• Orinoco (1957, Orinoko).
• White Jaguar (1980, Biały Jaguar).
• Canada, smelling of resin (1935, Kanada pachnąca żywicą).
• Beasts of the Virgin Forest (1936).
• Call of the Amazon (1937; revised. "Fish sing in Ukayali", Geografgiz, 1963).
• Two tairas (story).
• Nosoha (story).
• Division 303 (1942, Dywizjon 303).
• Thank you, captain (1944, Dziękuję ci, kapitanie).
• Little Bison (1952, Mały Bizon).
• The hot village of Ambinanitelo (1953, Gorąca wieś Ambinanitelo).
• The Secret of Rio de Oro (1950, Rio de Oro).
• Wild Bananas (1959, Dzikie banany).
• New Adventures: Guinea (1962, Nowa przygoda: Gwinea ).
• Tomorrow is Madagaskar.
• The island of loving lemurs (1957, Wyspa kochających lemurów).

• Kiselev V. Afterword // Fidler A. The White Jaguar - the leader of the Arawaks. - M .: True, 1990.

• Museum - Literary workshop of Arkady Fidler