Society and Culture: Materials from the personal archive of Valentin Rasputin are presented at the exhibition "Living Soul of Russia" in Moscow

January 31, 2017 in the department of manuscripts of the Rumyantsev hall of the Russian State Library (Moscow) is opening the exhibition "Living Soul of Russia" dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the birth of Valentin Grigorievich Rasputin, a Russian classic writer, publicist and public figure.

Unique archival materials from the personal archive of Valentin Rasputin, stored in the Department of Manuscripts of the Russian State Library, reveal new facets of the writer's work, reflect his rich inner spiritual world. The exposition covers in detail his biography, creative, social and political activities, literary tastes and preferences, relationships with contemporaries, writers, stay on Mount Athos and Optina, work to protect Lake Baikal.

Most of the documents - new acquisitions received from relatives and friends of the writer. Visitors of the exhibition will see the last manuscript of the novel "Daughter of Ivan, Ivan's mother"; stories "In hospital", "Memory day"; essays "Circum-Baikal Railway" and "Transsiberian". 

A great place is given to the letters: correspondence with Victor Astafiev, Fyodor Abramov, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Yevgeny Nosov, actors Valery Zolotukhin and Mikhail Kuznetsov, family, friends, readers, supporters.

Some stands are devoted to interesting, but little-known facts from the life of Valentin Rasputin - his participation in the expedition to dive to the bottom of the Lake Baikal in submersibles "Mir", filming the movie "Farewell" by Larisa Shepitko and Elem Klimov, theatrical productions. It is presented charity activity of the writer. The bookplates made by artists of Russia and China are exhibited.