The Seventh All-Union Film Festival took place in Baku in April 1974. The Red Snowball Tree won the Grand Prize, accompanied by the following statement: ‘For the original, bright talent of the actor, director, and writer Vasily Shukshin’. The diploma with the judges’ signatures is part of the museum’s collection.
The All-Union Film Festival was the most prominent event of its kind, and was held in various cities of the USSR. In that year, Giorgi Shengelaia’s Melodies of Vera Quarter and Tolomush Okeyev’s The Ferocious One entered the competition. However, The Red Snowball Tree and Leonid Bykov’s Only “Old Men” Are Going Into Battle were the front-runners. The jury was chaired by director and educator Stanislav Rostotsky. His fellow jury members included director Nikolai Maschenko, screenwriter Evgeny Gabrilovich, and actress Zinaida Kireyenko. The judges had a long debate regarding the fate of the Grand Prize.
According to the memoirs, the directors themselves were not touched by the spirit of rivalry. Shukshin and Bykov had a lot in common. They belonged to the same generation, both grew up during war time, and hence had same challenges in their creative careers. Bykov, who was Shukshin’s rival at the contest, said, ‘I will consider taking the hundredth place on the list, where Vasily Shukshin comes first, as an honour. After all, my motion picture is an ordinary war film, while his is a real leap into the forbidden area, a leap into the aspect of life that wasn’t even allowed to think about. So you convey these words to the people in charge of the Festival’.
As a result, The Red Snowball Tree got the Grand Prize, and Only “Old Men” Are Going Into Battle won the First Prize. When the award ceremony ended, Bykov wanted to personally congratulate Shukshin but was too shy to do it. Therefore, he asked mutual acquaintances to make an introduction. When Bykov approached, Shukshin hugged him with a smile, and they talked fondly until the end of the evening. At that time Bykov said to Shukshin, “Vasya! If you need someone to play a stool in Razin, just give me a call!”. After the rival’s departure Bykov shared his impression, ‘Shukshin is such an amazing bloke. A real Man! ’.
This is how the two directors met. This meeting was the only one — Shukshin passed away six months later.
The All-Union Film Festival was the most prominent event of its kind, and was held in various cities of the USSR. In that year, Giorgi Shengelaia’s Melodies of Vera Quarter and Tolomush Okeyev’s The Ferocious One entered the competition. However, The Red Snowball Tree and Leonid Bykov’s Only “Old Men” Are Going Into Battle were the front-runners. The jury was chaired by director and educator Stanislav Rostotsky. His fellow jury members included director Nikolai Maschenko, screenwriter Evgeny Gabrilovich, and actress Zinaida Kireyenko. The judges had a long debate regarding the fate of the Grand Prize.
According to the memoirs, the directors themselves were not touched by the spirit of rivalry. Shukshin and Bykov had a lot in common. They belonged to the same generation, both grew up during war time, and hence had same challenges in their creative careers. Bykov, who was Shukshin’s rival at the contest, said, ‘I will consider taking the hundredth place on the list, where Vasily Shukshin comes first, as an honour. After all, my motion picture is an ordinary war film, while his is a real leap into the forbidden area, a leap into the aspect of life that wasn’t even allowed to think about. So you convey these words to the people in charge of the Festival’.
As a result, The Red Snowball Tree got the Grand Prize, and Only “Old Men” Are Going Into Battle won the First Prize. When the award ceremony ended, Bykov wanted to personally congratulate Shukshin but was too shy to do it. Therefore, he asked mutual acquaintances to make an introduction. When Bykov approached, Shukshin hugged him with a smile, and they talked fondly until the end of the evening. At that time Bykov said to Shukshin, “Vasya! If you need someone to play a stool in Razin, just give me a call!”. After the rival’s departure Bykov shared his impression, ‘Shukshin is such an amazing bloke. A real Man! ’.
This is how the two directors met. This meeting was the only one — Shukshin passed away six months later.
