ALEXANDER ZINOVIEV
(1922 – 2006)
For the first time in the history of Russia, the anniversary of a Russian philosopher is held at the state level
THE SHINING HEIGHT OF WORLD CULTURE
In 2022, the whole thinking world celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Alexandrovich Zinoviev (1922–2006), a writer, philosopher, logician, sociologist, poet, artist, ideologist, fighter, patriot, and outstanding citizen.
October 1, 2021 President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin signed Decree N564 on the celebration in 2022 of the 100th anniversary of A.A. Zinoviev.
The world is discovering the phenomenon of Alexander Zinoviev – a Renaissance-type personality, one of the most striking and attractive intellectual mysteries of the 20th-21st centuries, the hero of our time, a Man from the future. He devoted his whole life to the service of Truth.
Awarded with the Star of Moscow State University “For fidelity to the truth”.
Member of the Academies of Sciences of Finland, Italy, the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts, numerous Russian academies;
International and European awards – Medici, 1978; Tevere, 1992; French Literature Award for Best Novel, 1979; European Prize for Best Science Fiction Novel, 1980; the only Soviet and Russian laureate of the Alexis de Tocqueville international prize for humanism (received for the creation of the theory of real communism), 1982 and others. Nominee in 1984 and 1999 for the Nobel Prize in Literature as the creator of a new genre (did not receive due to a tough stance on the bombing of Serbia).
Honorary citizen of the cities of France and Italy (Avignon, Orange, Ravenna), posthumously – Kostroma.
Zinoviev’s genius was admired by Mstislav Rostropovich, Vladimir Ashkenazi, Mikhail Shemyakin, Eugene Ionesco, Federico Fellini, Valerie Giscard d’Estaing, Jorge Luis Borges, Daniel Barenboim, Ekaterina Maksimova, Vladimir Vasiliev, Ernst Neizvestny, Valery Panov, Kirill Kondrashin, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Mikhail Rudy, Gidon Kremer, Hans-Magnus Enzenzberger, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, Cadinal Koenig, Raymond Aron, Simone Weil, Karl Popper, Max Gallo, Jurgen Habermas, Saul Bellow…
The thinker Alexander Zinoviev was invited for the personal meetings with the President of Chile Aususto Pinochet, with the President of Jugoslavia Slobodan Miloshevitch , with the lider of Lybia MUAMMAR AL-QADDAFI. As a result of each meeting, the Russian thinker has got a very high proposal to become a very special adviser to VIP, accordingly.
A classic of Russian literature, the author of more than 70 books – logic, methodology of science, sociology, fiction, poetry and dramaturgy – translated into 28 languages of the planet, worldwide published in over 30 millions of copies.
In 60-s years, before being expelled from the USSR, he founded a logical school in Moscow and Berlin, which gained worldwide fame.
In literature, he created a new literary genre, which he called the sociological novel.
Major literary works: “Yawning Heights”, ” The Radiant Future”, «The Madhouse» (“Yellow House”), ” My Home my Exile”, “Homo Sovieticus”, ” The Wings of Our Youth”, “My Chekhov”, “Go to Golgotha”, “Para Bellum”, “Live!”, “ Catastroika”, “ The Russian Fate. The confession of a renegade”, “Time of Troubles”, “Russian Experiment”, “ The Global Humant Hill”, poetry, drama.
PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA V.V. PUTIN RANKS ALEXANDER ZINOVEV TO THE GALAXY OF OUTSTANDING RUSSIAN WRITERS.
Major works in logic and sociology: “Philosophical Problems of Many-valued Logic”, “Logical Physics”, “Logical Sociology”, “Essays on Complex Logic”, ” The Reality of Communism”, “Gorbachevism”, “The Crisis of Communism”, “The West”, “Suprasociety ahead”, “The Demise of Russian communism”, “Comprehension Factor”.
In 1978 he was expelled from the USSR, deprived from the soviet citizenship, scientific degrees and military awards (for the novel “Yawning Heights”). He returned to his homeland in 1999 in protest against the bombing of Yugoslavia by NATO troops.
In recognition of services to Russia, by decision of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin, was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
In Kostroma, was created a monument For Russian Thinker Alexander Zinoviev by sculptor, People’s Artist of Russia, chairman of the Union of Artists of Russia Andrei Kovalchuk.
Today, the Biographical Institute of Alexander Zinoviev works. Expert platforms have been established: the Zinoviev Club of the International Media Group “Russia Today”, the Zinoviev Wednesdays in the Losev House. International conferences “Zinoviev Readings” are held.
A twenty-year international project “Russian Confucius – Alexander Zinoviev” has been initiated in China.
The medals, prizes and Prsident Putin scholarships of Alexander Zinoviev were established.
His works are published and republished.
A twenty-episode literary film almanac “ZINOVIEV, I LOVE YOU!” (love.zinoviev.info).
A project of ZINOTHEK – Museum and public center of A.A. Zinoviev at Moscow State University.
Detailed information on the ZINOVIEV.INFO portal (zinoviev.info).
BIOGRAPHY OF ALEXANDER ZINOVIEV – OLYMPUS OF GLOY
1922
Alexander Alexandrovich Zinoviev is born on 29 October 1922 in the village of Pakhtino, Chukhloma region, Kostroma province.
1939
A.Zinoviev excels at school, and in 1939 enters the Moscow Institute of Philosophy, Literature and History.
1939
Arrested and put under guard for conspiracy to murder Stalin. Escaped from «Lubyanka» NKVD (KGB) secret police headquarter.
1940 – 1946
He enrolls in the Red Army in 1940 and takes part in the Second World War of 1941 – 1945, first in the cavalry, then as tanker and later as fighter pilot.
1946
Student (1946 – 1951) and post-graduate student (1951 – 1954) of Faculty of philosophy at Lomonosov Moscow State University.
1952
Founds (together with G.Schedrovitsky, B.Grushin, M.Mamardashvili) the Moscow Circle of Logic, which becomes a milestone in the intellectual life in the USSR.
1953
Joins the communist party of the USSR (after Stalin’s death).
1954
Candidate of sciences dissertation on «The Rise of the abstract to the concrete» (based on» Marx’s Capital).
1955 – 1975
Senior researcher at the Institute of Philosophy of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. A. Zinoviev is associated with a brilliant page in the history of the institute and the advent of the «Thaw» period. A young generation of philosophers emerges, aspiring to a new humanist interpretation of Marx legacy and inciting to rethink certain principles of social philosophy. The leader of this intellectual reshaping is A.A.Zinoviev, who base his research on methods of logic and dialectic, proceeding from a firm conviction that scientific and philosophical research and his results are to be the key factor of social transformation.
1960
Doctor of sciences dissertation on «Philosophical problems of many-valued logic», professorship at Chair of logic at the Faculty of philosophy at Lomonosov Moscow State University.
1962 – 1975
A.Zinoviev publishes a number of books on logic and methodology of sciences which are translated into foreign languages. Among the important results of A. Zinoviev’s research are: Solutions of some major problems of many-valued logic, problems of logical conclusions, development of an original concept of complex logic; Foundations to the general theory of signs, theory of definitions, expansion the theory of induction, theory of proofs, and construction of an empirical geometry; solutions for most of the complex logic calculations, for problems of consistency, completeness, solvability.
- Zinoviev outruns western logic by dozens of years, the latter starting to work on these problems only by the end of the XXth century. He is considered to be one of the three leading logicians in the world.
1965
The fateful meeting of Olga Sorokina and Alexander Alexandrovich Zinoviev took place on October 1, 1965 at the Institute of Philosophy of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
The beginning of a great love story: from love to philosophy to the endless love of two hearts.
1965 – 1968
Head of the Chair of logic at the Faculty of Philosophy at Lomonosov Moscow State University.
1968
Dismissal as Head of the Chair following his refusal to fire the lecturers, Viktor Finn and Yurij Gastev who protested against Soviet invasion to Czechoslovakia.
1969
Marries Olga Mironovna Sorokina (Zinovieva) who becomes his trusted partner and companion-in-arms for life.
1974 – 1975
Seek and hide writing of satire novel «The Yawning Heights».
1974
Elected together with physicist P.L. Kapitsa as full member of the Finnish Academy of Sciences. Recognized as founder of the Soviet school of logic.
1976
The first ever sociological novel «The Yawning Heights» is published in the Swiss publishing house «L’Age d’Homme». The book becomes a bestseller and is translated in more than 28 languages.
Ostracism A.Zinoviev books are banished from all libraries of the USSR, his name is shunned from all encyclopaedias and university programs, open plagiarism of his ideas in professional circles. Banned from everywhere, he loses his job, and is stripped of all his academic titles. He is dismissed from MSU, disqualified from professorship, excluded from the communist party and betrayed by his friends, colleagues and pupils.
1977
European Charles Veillon prize awarded for «The Yawning Heights» (Le Prix Européen de l’Essai Charles Veillon). This prize is attributed for a book of creative cumulus that has witness value and proposes an example of productive critic of modern societies, their ideologies and way of life.
1978
Publication in the West of the sociological novel «The Radiant Future».
1978
- Zinoviev is deprived of his soviet citizenship and under threat of arrest expelled together with his family from the USSR to FRG.
Forced exile in FRG (1978 – 1999) A. Zinoviev and his family live in Munich. He pursues his literary and scientific work, sociological research, works as professor at the Chair of logic at Munich University. He survives 4 attempts at his life by unspecified secret services.
French Medici prize (Prix Médicis étranger) for literature in the nomination «for foreign writers» awarded for his novel «The Yawning Heights».
Election as a full member of Italian Academy of Sciences.
1979 – 1983
Publishes a number of sociological novels and stories further developing the plot and ideas of «The Yawning Heights»: «On the Threshold of Paradise» (1979), «The Yellow House» (1980), «Homo Sovieticus» (1982), «Para Bellum» (1982), «The Wings of Our Youth» (1983).
1982
Laureate of the Alexis de Tocqueville Prize. This prestigious prize for sociological research is awarded for his tractate «Communism as reality»
He is the first to develop a scientific theory of real-life communism, the first to predict the inevitability of the future crisis of communist system and its type, the first to give a scientific description of the modern Western society – «Westernism» in his terminology, the first to conclude the existence and to describe the evolutionary upheaval in the second half of XXth century, the first to describe the reasons and results of the anticommunist plot in Russia, the first to describe post-Soviet social organization of society
1984
Elected as the full member of Bavarian Academy of Arts.
1984 – 1986
Honorary citizenship of a number of European cities: 1984 – Ravenna (Italy), 1986 – Orange (France), 1986 – Avignon (France).
Reaches worldwide recognition. He becomes a regular guest to some of the most worldwide popular TV programs with many hours of live air. Some European cities hold literary festivals in honour of Alexander Zinoviev. His books are published in 28 languages totaling over 30 million copies.
Academician Zinoviev becomes a visiting professor of major universities, holds public lectures and meetings with his readership. He is regarded as an international independent authority, consults on their demand heads of state and presidents.
1988
Honorary professorship at the University of Santiago de Chile.
1990
Reinstalled in the citizenship of the USSR by the decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of USSR.
History making live TV dispute on French channel Antenne 2 – perceived by millions of European audiences as a true duel between Russian thinker Alexander Zinoviev and Soviet politician Boris Yeltsin.
According to the sources close to the first president of Russia after this encounter decided never again to take part in live TV political debates. All Russian president’s still keep to this line.
1991
Defines the fall of the USSR as «the greatest social and geopolitical catastrophe of the XXth century» and USSR as the «apex of 1000 years of the history of Russia».
1992
Awarded the Tevere literary prize by Italian Center for Dissemination of Arts and Culture (Centro italiano diffusione arte e cultura (Cidac).
1994 – 2006
Analysis of Western societies, criticism of global capitalism, forecasts of the world crisis. Publishes a research book «The West» (1994), the anti-utopian novel «The Human anthill» (1997), «On the way to supra-society» (2000).
1997
State Archives of Bremen sets up A. Zinoviev archive. The works of A.Zinoviev as well as all audio, video, photo, manuscripts, press articles, press cuts, paintings, books, magazines, etc are considered as part of national German legacy, life, culture and sciences.
1999
- Zinoviev returns to Russia with his family.
The reason of his comeback to Moscow is the NATO aggression of the sovereign Yugoslavia. Alexander Zinoviev considers this barbarian act to be an eventual scenario of the future of Russia.
The Head of State did not welcome A.Zinoviev’s return to his Motherland. No official apologies from the Russian powers towards the family are extended. His Moscow flat that had been confiscated in 1978 was not returned.
Following uncompromising position of A.A.Zinoviev on NATO aggression of Yugoslavia, the Nobel prize committee strikes him down as a nominee for the Nobel prize for literature.
He is nominated as Candidate of the party «Union of Russian People» in the elections to Russian Parliament (State Duma of RF), but is refused registration as candidate by the election board on a phony pretext, actually on direct strict order from Kremlin.
Alexander Zinoviev Research Center is created
The Research Center is created on initiative of Mr. Lomeiko, assistant to the director general of UNESCO and rector of Institute of Youth (called MosGU now) with agreement and participation of the Russian thinker Alexander Zinoviev. The Center has opened a school of the social studies and a school by correspondence. In 6 years of existence over 200 students have graduated from this school, over 300 students registered with correspondence courses.
1999 – 2006
Professorship at the Chair of Ethics at the faculty of Philosophy of MSU. Professorship in the Institute of Philosophy at the Academy of Science of Russia. Professorship in Maxim Gorky Institute of Literature. Lectures in numerous Institutes.
During the years 1999–2006 A.Zinoviev reads the following courses: Introduction to the methodology of sociology, Ideology of the Future, Basics of methodology of social research, Society and – Supra-society, Logical Sociology, Logical Intellect
2000 – 2006
Chairman of Russian public Committee «Freedom to the President of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic» in the Parliament of Russia.
President of the Russian Intellectuals Club
Honorary Professor of Moscow University of Humanities.
Member of Russian Academy of social sciences
Vice-president of the Academy of Russian art of writing.
Member of International Academy of Sciences of Eurasia.
2001
«Man of the year 2011» by Russian Biographical Institute in the nomination «Culture» awarded for «extraordinary educational activity».
2005
Awarded the Star of Moscow University («For the service to the Truth»).
The Russian State archive of social and political history (RGASPI) forms A. Zinoviev archive. Original documents and manuscripts are deposited for eternal storage.
The book «The crossroads» heads the top-100 rating of the texts of Russian social-humanitarian writings (INTELROS group).
2006
Conclusive works on «the sum of totals» books, one that summarizes his scientific ideas – a scientific testament for new generations of Russian intellectuals – «The comprehension factor» (published post mortem).
Alexander Alexandrovitch Zinoviev dies on 10 May, 2006. As recognition of his services to Russia he is buried in the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow on order of the President of the Russian Federation V.V.Putin.
Post MorteM
2007
Creation of the Alexander Zinoviev Biographical Institute.
First publication of «ZINOVIEV. An exclusive magazine».
Exibition dedicated to Alexander Zinoviev «Go!» in the Moscow State Literature Museum
First International Conference Zinoviev Readings at Moscow University of Humanities.
2007 – 2022
Zinoviev Readings are held in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Glazov, Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod, Omsk, Pyatigorsk, Saratov, Satka, Chelyabinsk (Russia), Paris (France), Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk (Ukraine), Stockholm (Sweden), Sofia (Bulgaria), Oxford, Glasgow (Great Britain), Manila (Philippines).
2008
Post mortem decoration with title and medal of the «honorary citizen of Kostroma». The city of Kostroma institute’s annual Alexander Zinoviev Prize.
Second International Conference Zinoviev Readings in Moscow Lomonosow State University.
2009
Consecration in Kostroma of the monument to Alexander Zinoviev by decision of the Governor of the Kostroma Region Igor Slunaev. The monument was created by sculptor Andrei Kovaltchuk, decorated People`s painter, Head of the Union of the Painters of Russia. Inauguration of «Alexander Zinoviev auditorium» at the N.A.Nekrasov University in Kostroma.
Russian-Bavarian Alexander Zinoviev Research Center founded by University of Augsburg (Bavaria, Germany) together with Russian State University of Commerce and Economy.
2010
Third International Conference «Zinoviev Readings in Russian Academy of Sciences».
2011
The exhibition “ZINOVIEV — TIME — FORWARD!” at the Museum of History of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov. The exhibition was shown at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian House of Science and Culture in Berlin.
2014
Establishment of the Zinoviev Club of the International Media Group “Russia Today”. “Zinoviev readings” have been held in the International Media Group “Russia Today” since 2014.
Creation of the International Scientific and Educational Center named after A.A. Zinoviev at Lomonosov Moscow State University.
2021
On October 1, 2021, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin issued a decree on the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the great Russian thinker Alexander Zinoviev. It is significant that it was on the anniversary of the fateful meeting of Olga Sorokina and Alexander Alexandrovich Zinoviev.
2022
The year of Alexander Zinoviev. Holding the anniversary of the Russian philosopher at the state level for the first time in the history of Russia.
In July 2022, the BRICS International Forum initiated the global project “Legends of BRICS” — moral authorities and intellectual leaders of the ancient and modern history of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa: Paulo Coelho, Alexander Zinoviev, Mahatma Gandhi, Confucius, Nelson Mandela.
