The Presidential Library assisted the I Granin Readings

The I Granin Readings took place in St. Petersburg. The event was attended by representatives of the Presidential Library, which Daniil Aleksandrovich Granin (1919–2017) has visited for many times as a friend.

Speaking about this great man, writer, philosopher and public person, it is very difficult to do without tautology. The official name of the event is the I Granin Readings “Recalling Granin”, it takes place in the Granin Cultural and Educational Center (based on the library № 9 of the Nevsky District of St. Petersburg).

Representatives of the center dedicated all projects marking centenary anniversary of the writer to various facets of his talent. This is how “The Edge of Science”, “Art-Edge”, “Edge of Creativity”, “Edge of Courage”, “Edge of Memory”, and others appeared.

“Father’s legacy was indeed very multifaceted”, - noted the daughter of the writer, Director of the Granin Foundation for the Preservation and Promotion of Literary Activity, Chairman of the Board of the Information and Cultural Center “Russian Emigration” Marina Chernysheva.

The I Granin Readings consisted of three thematic blocks. First, in the hall of the library № 9 of the Nevsky district of St. Petersburg, visitors were able to get familiar with the exhibition “Time of Granin”, telling about him as a writer, thinker, public figure and simply as a person. Here it was impossible to pass by the sign "Facets of Style". Daniil Alexandrovich did not like ties, preferring scarves, - this element of wardrobe decorated the walls of the library.

Further, attendees of the readings visited a large conference room in order to first listen to the personal memories of people who knew Daniil Granin and who were friends with him, and then try to assess the creative and social activities of the writer from a scientific point of view.

Marina Chernyshova presented the book “About Daniil Granin: Memoirs” and admitted that one of the main features of her father was the ability to be friends: he “had amazing friends in almost every city where he got even for a short time”.

The author of the documentary film “Siege Blood” Dmitry Karalis, to whom Granin gave his last interview, noted that Daniil Aleksandrovich was not only a unique writer, but also an excellent storyteller and publicist, a fine stylist, and not everyone pays attention to it. Just a series of topics for which the Granin-writer undertook, for example the blockade, were so serious that the author sometimes had to restrain himself regarding the form.

At the same time, Granin at all times, with different political systems, with different state leaders spoke only the truth, only what he was actually thinking about.

Executive Director of the Dmitry Likhachev Foundation, Alexander Kobak recalled that in 2006, it was Daniil Granin who initiated the Year of Likhachev in Russia, and the year 2019 was the year of Daniil Granin, an outstanding St. Petersburg resident of Leningrad. At the end of 2017, President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed a decree "On the perpetuation of the memory of Daniil Granin and the celebration of the centenary anniversary of his birth". The Presidential Library’s portal includes an electronic version of this document.

In 2006, Granin devoted the following words to his elder comrade Dmitry Likhachev: "The man we loved". "Today, these words fully apply to Daniil Alexandrovich himself", - said Alexander Kobak.

He added that Granin "was never a reclusive writer, until the very end of his life he was interested in others, he really liked to communicate with various people".

Kobak spoke with admiration of Granin’s “inner world”, the writer knew how to organize an entire movement, a citywide action, etc. from some idea expressed by chance.

For example, once he asked if anyone knew who the oldest Petersburg resident was? It turned out that it was about trees. And from this issue a long-term program of treatment of urban green spaces has grown.

Thanks to Granin, memorial tablets were opened to many famous Petersburg residents, he was the first to come up with the idea of ​​bringing together representatives of all the cities founded by Peter I.

“Both the presidents and the governors came to him, and everyone said: let's go to have tea, everyone was interested in his opinion”, - a great friend of Daniil Alexandrovich, the famous sculptor Gregory Danilovich Yastrebenetsky, recalled.

The Presidential Library is actively engaged in the events of the Year of Granin. In December, a collection dedicated to the centenary anniversary of the birth of Daniil Alexandrovich appeared in the portal of the institution, which included photographic materials reflecting his social activities, pictures from the presentation of the book “Foreign Diary” in 2018 and other documents.

The Presidential Library presented multimedia exhibition as well as a video lecture under the general title “Daniil Granin and the Youth”.

The writer has visited the Senate Square, 3 for many times. One of these meetings formed the basis of the documentary film interview “Time to Remember. Daniil Granin”. Responding to questions from specialists of the Presidential Library, he shared his background, spoke about literature, science, politics, etc. Daniil Alexandrovich became a reader of the Presidential Library back in 2011.