"Zoe Boguslavska discusses remembrance of World War II: her perspective includes glimpsing Adolf Hitler's dead body."
In a Cool, Approachable Manner, Let's Delve into the Remarkable Lives of the Kagan Family:
Lena, the Kagan family's shining star, was like the literary Elena from Bulgakov's "White Guard." Talented beyond belief, Lena earned widespread praise not just for her writing chops, but also her tenacity as a war widow at a tender 19 years old.
Despite Boris's charisma and wit, it was Yurka who truly captivated with his deep emotions. Bonding closer with Yurka than my own father or Lena, I got a glimpse into the family's emotional depths.
A cult formed around Lena, not only due to her gifted writing, but also due to her young widowhood – Elena Kagan, known by her pseudonym Rzhevskaya, was the talk of the town. Being both a renowned writer and a translator who traversed war's military roads, she stirred a blend of awe and sorrow.
Lena had married Pavel Kogan, a poet renowned among Moscow's university circles, but sadly, he and others perished in the war. Pavel's poetic verses, such as "I've never liked an oval, I've always drawn an angle" or "The brigantine raises its sails," echoed the spirit of youth.
The allure of Pavel Kogan, a man Lena was married to for a brief while, was impressive and tragic as he was taken by war. Lena bravely took on her duties as a translator, initially struggling with her German, but her quick intellect, youthful enthusiasm, and passionate memory quickly turned the tables. She was even involved in investigating the circumstances surrounding Goebbels' death in the war's final months.
After parting ways with Pavel Kogan in 1942, Lena married Izrail Kramov, who, as Isaac Kramov, was a distinguished writer. His prose was heartfelt, precise, and delicate. However, next to Lena, other prolific authors like Bella Akhmadulina, Nabokov, and Boris Messerer always seemed to play second fiddle.
Lena was truly special, an inspiring blend of courage and creativity. She courageously documented her Berlin war experiences and created a rich, impactful body of literature. Izrail, on the other hand, was an accomplished literary researcher and publicist, although his achievements couldn't quite outshine his remarkable wife.
There was a fascinating secret that bound the Kagan family in their home: Lena had witnessed Hitler's corpse. During Stalin's rumors of Hitler's survival to stir national spirit, Lena, as a translator, was interrogated about what she knew.
In their apartment, there was an atmosphere filled with intellect, as Yuri Kagan, youngest in the family, was a physicist and student of Landau and Sofronitsky. The mix of brilliant minds elevated the era, merging artistic creativity and scientific curiosity to create an unparalleled atmosphere.
Though the days spent in that apartment were dizzying, a new wave of poets later emerged, led by Andrei Voznesensky. As part of this younger cohort, I had the opportunity to meet Voznesensky and witness the continual blossoming of literary genius.
Lena, known by her pseudonym Rzhevskaya, was a remarkable woman who, in 1945, displayed her literary prowess as a translator and investigator, stirring a blend of awe and sorrow in the home-and-garden of the Kagan family. Despite her brief marriage to Pavel Kogan, a poet whose poetic verses echoed the spirit of youth, Lena's relationship with Izrail Kagan, a distinguished writer, created a family-dynamics that seemed to outshine other literary greats like Bella Akhmadulina, Nabokov, and Boris Messerer. Interestingly, Lena was once a war widow at 19 years old, and this family-dynamics was not just about relationships but also about the Kagan family's emotional depths, as seen in Yurka's deep emotions.
Moreover, the Kagan family's home held a fascinating secret, as Lena had witnessed Hitler's corpse, a fact that bound them together in their intellectual atmosphere. The mix of literary genius, such as Lena, and scientific inquiry, as represented by Yuri Kagan, a physicist and student of Landau and Sofronitsky, created an unparalleled lifestyle, merging artistic creativity and scientific curiosity to create an unforgettable era. The allure of the Kagan family is literally reminiscent of literary Elena from Bulgakov's "White Guard," a shining star that continues to captivate readers even today.
