Kostylev, Valentin Ivanovich

Kostylev, Valentin Ivanovich

 

Born Mar. 3 (15), 1884, in Moscow; died there Aug. 29, 1950. Soviet Russian writer. Member of the CPSU from 1944.

Kostylev’s work was first published in 1903. He wrote several historical novels, including Evergreen Storm (1935; reissued as Happy Meeting, 1947), Pitirim (1936), and Kuz’ma Minin (1939). In his trilogy Ivan the Terrible (1943-47; State Prize of the USSR, 1948), Kostylev sought to explain the role of Tsar Ivan IV in the creation of a strong, centralized Russian state (this led to an idealization of the tsar). He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor and various medals.

WORKS

Izbr. soch., vols. 1–6. Gorky, 1951–52.

REFERENCES

Darkov, V. I. Kostylev: Kritiko-biograficheskii ocherk. Gorky, 1959.
Grebenshchikov, A. “Zabveniiu ne podlezhit!” Oktiabr’ 1968, no. 6.
Russkie sovetskiepisateli-prozaiki: Biobibliograficheskii ukazatel’, vol. 2. Leningrad, 1964.