Our Nobel Laureate (Remembering Mikhail Sholokhov)

And Quiet Flows the Don was written from the mid-1920s onward and became a monumental work in both scope and vision. The characters created by Mikhail Sholokhov in And Quiet Flows the Don are truly national in spirit. In these images—both male and female—the Russian national character is embodied with unparalleled artistic power. This is likely the last epic novel in Russian literature, often compared to Leo Tolstoy’s legendary War and Peace. Tolstoy wrote about the Patriotic War (against Napoleon), while Sholokhov depicted the Civil War. Yet, in their essence, these are two fundamentally different works. Tolstoy writes about how national unity is achieved, whereas Sholokhov portrays a monstrous national schism—brother turning against brother in a bloody and endless conflict. Importantly, Sholokhov personalizes this tragedy. At the end of And Quiet Flows the Don, the protagonist Grigory Melekhov makes a choice that defies expectations. The novel’s finale—a black, icy sun gazing not only at Melekhov but at all of us, from the past into the future—is striking. Interestingly, Stalin personally approved this ending, deciding in 1935 to allow the publication of the fourth volume.

Thirty years later, in 1965, the communist Mikhail Sholokhov was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for the artistic power and integrity with which, in his epic of the Don, he has given expression to a historic phase in the life of the Russian people." He could not be denied the prize, despite his political views—by then, he was already recognized as an "engineer of human souls," and his works had been translated into numerous languages worldwide.

"Sholokhov is a poet of the revolution. He is a great bard and chronicler of his country and people. Such were our great writers Rabindranath Tagore and Premchand, whose names I wish to place alongside Sholokhov’s today," wrote Harbhajan Singh (India). "Of course, Sholokhov has been continuously published in English for over forty years: he holds an honored place among the classics of European literature. The charm of his prose captivates readers of all ages…" noted James Aldridge.

It is impossible to replicate the literary cult that surrounded Mikhail Sholokhov, but it is equally impossible to push him into the background. Especially now, when civil strife continues, blood is shed, and people struggle to define their past and future. Reading Sholokhov today takes on new meaning and context—perhaps no less, or even more, important than during his lifetime.