Afanasii Lazarevich Koptelov

Born Oct. 24 (Nov. 6), 1903, in the village of Shatunovo, in present-day Zalesovo Raion, Altai Krai. Soviet Russian writer. Member of the CPSU since 1944.

In his early works (the novella Confusion, 1927, and the novel The New Fields, 1929), Koptelov depicted the class struggle in a village of Kerzhaks (Old Believers). His novel The Great Nomad Encampment (1934–35) deals with the Altais’ national revival under Soviet power. Many of Koptelov’s works, including the novel The Garden (1955) and the essays The Transformationof Siberia (1959), focus on man’s struggle to transform nature. He has also written novels dealing with V. I. Lenin— The Great Beginning (1963) and The Flame Will Flare Up (parts 1–2, 1965–68). Koptelov was awarded four orders as well as medals.