The Complete Works of Isaac Babel Reprint Edition by Isaac Babel, Nathalie Babel, Peter Constantine
Page 106
1955 Collected Stories by Isaac Babel' with an introduction by Lionel Trilling, is published in New York.
1956 Nikita Khrushchev denounces Stalin at the 20th Party Congress (February).
1957 A volume of selected stories is published in Moscow with the introduction by Ilya Ehrenburg, at last opening the way for subsequent editions, albeit censored and incomplete.
1964 Isaac Babel, The Lonely Years: 1925-1939: Unpublished Stories and
Correspondence, edited and introduced by Nathalie Babel. Revised edition published in 1995.
1966 You Must Know Everything, edited by Nathalie Babel, published in New
York.
1989 Vospominania o Babele {Babel Remembered), edited by Antonina Pirozhkova, is published in Moscow, including Pirozhkovas essay “Years Spent Together (1932-1939).”
1990 The two-volume Sochineniia {Works) edition is published in Moscow, the most comprehensive uncensored edition of Babel to date, albeit incomplete.
Details of Babels interrogation and death begin to reach Soviet press (publications by Arkady Vaksberg and Vitaly Shentalinsky based on their research in the KGB archives).
1994 The centenary of Babels birth is marked by international conferences in
Russia and the United States.
1996 Pirozhkova publishes At His Side: The Last Years of Isaac Babel translated by
Anne Frydman and Robert L. Busch (Royalton, Vermont).
Gregory Freidin
o36o
1
Ukrainian Cossacks shaved their heads, leaving only a forelock, known as a chub.
2
Tanya Parrain is the daughter of Brice Parrain, French writer and philosopher, and also a specialist in Russian and Soviet literature. Her maternal grandfather, George Chelpanov, was well-known founder of the Institute of Psychology in Moscow.
3
S. Povartsov, Prichina smerti—rasstrel (Cause of Death: Execution by the Firing Squad), M.
1966, p. 130.
NOTES
I. Early Stories
OLD SHLOYME
Original title: “Starii Shloyme”. First published in Ogni 6, 1913.
AT GRANDMOTHER’S
Original title: “Detstvo. Ubabushku First published in Literaturnoye Nasledstvo, Nauka, 1965, dated: Saratov, November 12,1915.
ELYA ISAAKOVICH AND MARGARITA PROKOFIEVNA
Original title: “Elya Isaakovich i Margarita Prokofievna.” First published in Letopis 11,
1916.
MAMA, RIMMA, AND ALLA
Original title: “Mama, Rimma,, iAlla.” First published in Letopis 11,1916.
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Original title: “Publichnaya biblioteka.” First published in Zhurnal zhurnalov 48, 1916, under the heading “My Notes.” Signed Bab-El.
NINE
Original title: “Devyat.” First published in Zhurnal zhurnalov 48,1916, under the heading “My Notes.” Signed Bab-El.
ODESSA
Original title: “Odessa.” First published in Zhurnal zhurnalov 51,1916, under the heading “My Notes.” Signed Bat-El.
THE AROMA OF ODESSA
Original title: uListki ob Odesse” First published in Vechernyaya zvezda, March 8, 1918. INSPIRATION
Original title: “ Vdokhnovenie.” First published in Zhurnal zhurnalov 7, 1917, under the heading “My Notes.” Signed Bab-El.
DOUDOU
Original title: “Doudou.” First published in Svobodniye mysli 2, March 13, 1917, under the heading “My Notes.”
SHABOS-NAKHAMU
Original title: “Shabos-Nakhamu.” First published in Vechernyaya zvezda, March 16, 1918, under the subheading “From the Hershele Cycle.” Babel was working on a series of stories on Hershele, a trickster figure in Jewish lore, who was also reputed to be the court jester Reb Borukhl Tulchiner, the grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism. The manuscripts of these stories, however, have not survived.
In the Red Cavalry story “Rabbi,” the narrator tells the rabbi, “ ‘I am putting the adventures of Hershele of Ostropol into verse.’ A great task,’ the rabbi whispered, and closed his eyelids.”
See also 1920 Diary entry for July 23.
ON THE FIELD OF HONOR
Original title: “Napole chesti.” First published in Lava 1,1920.
THE DESERTER
Original title: “Dezertir.” First published in Lava 1,1920.
PAPA MARESCOT’S FAMILY
Original title: “Semeistvo papashi Maresko.” First published in Lava 1, 1920.
THE QUAKER
Original title: “Kvaker.” First published in Lava 1, 1920.
THE SIN OF JESUS
Original title: “Iisusov grekhi” First published in Na khleb, August 29, 1921.
AN EVENING WITH THE EMPRESS
Original title: “ Vecher u imperatritsy.” First published in Siluety 1,1922, under the heading “From the Petersburg Diary.”
CHINK
Original title: “Khodya.” First published in Siluety 6-7,1923, under the heading “From the Petersburg Diary.”
A TALE ABOUT A WOMAN
Original title: “Skazkapro babu.” First published in Siluety 8-9, 1923. The story is an earlier version of “The Sin of Jesus.”
THE BATHROOM WINDOW
Original title: “V shchelochku.” First published in Siluety 12, 1923, with the subtitle “From the Book OfortyT See also its earlier version, “A Story,” in the section Variations and Manuscripts.
BAGRAT-OGLY AND THE EYES OF HIS BULL
Original title: “Bagrat-Ogly i glaza ego bykaFirst published in Siluety 12, 1923, with the subtitle “From the Book Oforty
LINE AND COLOR
Original title: uLiniya i tsvet” First published in Krasnaya nov 7, 1923, with the subtitle “A True Occurrence.”
YOU MISSED THE BOAT, CAPTAIN!
Original title: “Ty promorgal kapitanP First published in Izvestiya Odesskogo Gubispolkoma, February 9, 1924. Signed Bab-El.
THE END OF ST. HYPATIUS
Original title: “Konets sv. Ipatiya.” First published in Pravda, August 3,1924, under the heading “From My Diary.”
II. The Odessa Stories
THE KING
Original title: “Korol.” First published in Moryak, June 23, 1921, with the subtitle “From the Odessa Stories.”
JUSTICE IN PARENTHESES
Original title: “Spravedlivost v skobkakh.” First published in Na pomoshch!, August 15, 1921, with the subtitle “From the Odessa Stories.”
HOW THINGS WERE DONE IN ODESSA
Original title: “Kak eto delalos v Odesse.” First published in Izvestiya Odesskogo Gubispolkoma, May 5, 1923.
LYUBKA THE COSSACK
Original title: “Lyubka Kazak" First published in Krasnaya nov 5, 1924, with the subtitle “From the Odessa Stories.”
THE FATHER
Original title: “Otets” First published in Krasnaya nov 5,1924, with the subtitle “From the Odessa Stories.”
FROIM GRACH
Original title: “Froim Grach” First published in Vozdushnye putiy Volume 3, New York, 1963.
THE END OF THE ALMSHOUSE
Original title: “Konets bogadelni.” First published in 30 Dnei 1, 1932, with the subtitle “From the Odessa Stories,” dated 1920-1930.
SUNSET
Original title: “Zakat.” First published in Literaturnaya Rossiya, November 20, 1964. The last page of the manuscript was missing.
III. The Red Cavalry Stories
The stories are presented in the order in which they appeared in the first edition of the book Konarmiya (Red Cavalry), May 1926, by which time all the stories had been published in magazines and newspapers as indicated below.
CROSSING THE RIVER ZBRUCZ
Original title: Perekhod cherez Zbruch. First published in Pravda, August 3,1924. Dated Novograd-Volynsk, July 1920.
Savitsky: The altered name Babel used in his later editions of the Red Cavalry stories for Semyo
n Konstantinovich Timoshenko, 1895-1970, the commander of the Sixth Division of the Red Cavalry. He was later to become a Marshal of the Soviet Union and Commissar of Defense. He appears as Savitsky in the Red Cavalry stories “My First Goose,” “The Commander of the Second Brigade,” “The Story of a
Horse,” and “The Continuation of the Story of a Horse,” and as Timoshenko throughout the 1920 Diary. In the original publication of the stories, Babel used Timoshenko’s name.
THE CHURCH IN NOVOGRAD
Original title: “ Kostel v Novograde” First published in Izvestiya Odesskovo Gubispolkoma, February 18,1923.
See also 1920 Diary entry for July 15.
A LETTER
Original title: “Pismo.” First published in Izvestiya Odesskovo Gubispolkoma, February
11.1923. Dated Novograd-Volynsk, June 1920.
See also 1920 Diary entry of August 9,1920.
Pavlichenko: The altered name of Iosif Rodionovich Apanasenko, 1890-1943, who took over the command of Division Six after Timoshenko. Mentioned throughout the 1920 Diary and in the Red Cavalry stories “The Life of Matvey Rodionovich Pavlichenko” and “Czesniki.” In the original publication of the stories, Babel used Apanasenko’s name.
THE RESERVE CAVALRY COMMANDER
First published in Lef 4, 1923. Babel changed the original title “Dyakov” to “Nachalnik konzapasa” (“The Reserve-Cavalry Commander”) in later story editions. Dated Belyov, July 1920.
See also 1920 Diary entries for July 13,14, and 16.
PAN APOLEK
Original title: “Pan Apolek.” First published in Krasnaya nov 7,1923.
ITALIAN SUN
First published in Krasnaya nov 3, 1923. Babel changed the original title “Sidorov” to “Solntse Italii (“Italian Sun”) in later story editions. Dated Novograd-Volynsk, July 1920.
GEDALI
Original title: “Gedali” First published in Krasnaya nov 4,1924. Dated Zhitomir, June 1920.
See also 1920 Diary entries for June 6 and July 7.
MY FIRST GOOSE
Original title: “Moipervii gus” First published in Izvestiya Odesskovo Gubispolkoma, May 4, 1924. Dated July 1920.
See also 1920 Diary entry for August 9.
THE RABBI
Original title: “Rabbi” First published in Krasnaya nov 1,1924.
See also 1920 Diary entry for June 3.
THE ROAD TO BRODY
Original title: “Put v Brody.” First published in Izvestiya Odesskovo Gubispolkoma, June
17.1923. Dated Brody, August 1920.
See also 1920 Diary entries for August 18 and 31.
THE TACHANKA THEORY
Original title: “Ucheniye o tachanke.” First published in Izvestiya Odesskovo Gubispolkoma, February 23,1923.
DOLGUSHOV’S DEATH
Original title: “Smert Dolgusheva” First published in Izvestiya Odesskovo Gubispolkoma, May 1, 1923. Dated Brody, August 1920.
Korotchayev: Was demoted by General Budyonny from provisional commander of the Fourth Cavalry Division to one of the brigade commanders of the Sixth Cavalry Division. See also 1920 Diary entries for August 2, 8, and 13.
THE COMMANDER OF THE SECOND BRIGADE
First published in Lef4,1923. Babel changed the original tide “Kolesnikov ’ to “Kombrig 2” (“The Commander of the Second Brigade”). Dated Brody, August 1920.
See also 1920 Diary entry for August 3, in which Budyonny threatens to shoot Kolesnikov and Grishin. In the original edition of this story in Lef, Babel had used Grishins name, which in later editions Babel changed to Almazov.
SASHKA CHRIST
Original title: “Sashka Khristos” First published in Krasnaya nov 1, 1924.
See also 1920 Diary entry for July 28.
THE LIFE OF MATVEY RODIONOVICH PAVLICHENKO
Original title: “Zhiznyeopisaniye Pavlichenki, Matveya Rodionicha.” First published in
Shkval 8,1924.
Matvey Rodionovich Pavlichenko: the altered name of Iosif Rodionovich Apanasenko, 1890-1943, who took over the command of the Sixth Cavalry Division in August 1920. Mentioned throughout the 1920 Diary, particularly the entries for August 5, 8-13. See also Sketches for the Red Cavalry Stories, “Apanasenkos Life Story” (p. 482).
THE CEMETERY IN KOZIN
Original title: “Kladbishche v Kozine.” First published in Izvestiya Odesskovo Gubispolkoma, February 23,1923.
See also 1920 Diary entries for July 18 and 21.
PRISHCHEPA
Original title: “Prishchepa.” First published in Izvestiya Odesskovo Gubispolkoma, June
17,1923. Dated Demidovka, July 1920.
See also 1920 Diary entries for July 23,24. See also the two sections on Demidovka in Sketches for the Red Cavalry Stories (pp. 482-84).
THE STORY OF A HORSE
First published in Izvestiya Odesskovo Gubispolkoma, April 13,1923. Babel changed the original title “Timoshenko i Melnikov ’ (“Timoshenko and Melnikov”) to “Istoriya odnoi loshadT (“The Story of a Horse”) in later editions. Dated Radzivillov, July 1920. The story was republished in Krasnaya nov 3,1924.
In a letter to the editor, Parfenti Melnikov denied that he had ever written a letter renouncing his membership in the Communist Party. Babel wrote an apology, published in the literary magazine Oktyabr. See “A Letter to the Editor,” (p. 362).
KONKIN
Original title: “Konkin.” First published in Krasnaya nov 3,1924. Dated Dubno, August 1920.
See also 1920 Diary entry for July 13.
BERESTECHKO
Original title: “BerestechkoFirst published in Krasnaya nov 3, 1924. Dated Berestechko, August 1920.
See also 1920 Diary entries for August 7 and 8.
SALT
Original title: “Sol” First published in Izvestiya Odesskovo Gubispolkoma, November 25, 1923.
EVENING
First published in Krasnaya nov 3. Babel changed the original title “Galin to “Vecher” (“Evening”) in later editions. Dated Kovel, 1920.
See also 1920 Diary entries for September 10 and 11.
AFONKA BIDA
Original title: “Afonka Bida.” First published in Krasnaya nov 1,1924.
See also 1920 Diary entry for August 1. ,
AT SAINT VALENTINE’S
Original title: “U Svyatogo ValentinaFirst published in Krasnaya nov 3, 1924. Dated Berestechko, August 1920.
See also 1920 Diary entry for August 7.
SQUADRON COMMANDER TRUNOV
Original title: uEskadronnii Trunov.” First published in Krasnaya nov 2, 1925.
See also “And Then There Were Nine,” “And Then There Were Ten,” and the 1920 Diary entry for August 30. See also “Sokal 1” and “Sokal 2” in Sketches for the Red Cavalry Stories (pp. 478-79).
IVAN AND IVAN
Original title: “Ivany.” First published in Russkii Sovremenik 1,1924.
See also 1920 Diary entry for August 3.
A CONTINUATION OF THE STORY OF A HORSE
First published in Krasnaya nov 3, 1924 as part of the story “Timoshenko i Melnikov ’ (“Timoshenko and Melnikov”), which Babel changed to uProdolzhenie istorii odnoi loshadi (“A Continuation of the Story of a Horse”) in later editions.
THE WIDOW
First published in Izvestiya Odesskovo Gubispolkoma 15, 1923. Babel changed the original title “Shevelyov” to “ Vdova ’ (“The Widow”) in later editions.
See also 1920 Diary entry for August 9.
ZAMOSC
Original title: “Zamostye.” First published in Krasnaya nov 3, 1924. Dated Sokal, September 1920.
See also 1920 Diary entries for August 29 and 30.
TREASON
Original title: “IzmenaFirst published in Izvestiya Odesskovo Gubispolkoma, March 20, 1923.
CZESNIKI
Original title: “Chesniku First published in Krasnaya nov 3,1924.
See also 1920 Diary entries for August 28-31.
AFTER THE BATTLE
Original title: “Posle boy a.” First published in Prozhektor 20, 1924. Dated Galicia, September 1920.
See also 1920 Diary entry for August 31.
THE SONG
First published in Krasnaya nov 3, 1925. Babel changed the original title “Vecher” (“Evening”) to “Pesnya (“The Song”). Dated Sokal, August 1920.
THE RABBI’S SON
Original title: Syn Rabbi. First published in Krasnaya nov 1,1924.
See also 1920 Diary entry for September 12.
IV. The Red Cavalry Cycle:
Additional Stories
Makhno’s Boys
Original title: “Ubatko nashego Makhno.” First published in Krasnaya nov 4,1924, dated 1923.
A HARDWORKING WOMAN
Original title: “Staratelnaya zhenshchina.” First published in Pereval 6, 1926.
See also 1920 Diary entry for July 16.
GRISHCHUK
Original title: “Grishchuk.” First published in Izvestiya Odesskovo Gubispolkoma, February 23,1923, subtitled “From the Red Cavalrydated July 16,1920.
See also 1920 Diary entries for July 14,19, and 21-29.
ARGAMAK
Original title: “Agarmak.” First published in Novii mir 3, 1932, subtitled “An Unpublished Chapter of the Red Cavalrydated 1924-1930.
THE KISS
Original title: “Potseluu First published in Krasnaya nov 7,1937 AND THEN THERE WERE NINE
Original tide: “Ikh bylo devyatP First published in Novii Zhurnal 95, New York, June 1969.
See also “And Then There Were Ten,” “Squadron Commander Trunov,” and the 1920 Diary entry for August 30.
AND THEN THERE WERE TEN
Original title: “Ikh bylo desyat.” First published in Petersburg 1918y 1989, Michigan, Ardis Publishers.
A LETTER TO THE EDITOR First published in Oktyabr 4,1924.
V. The Red Cavalryman: Articles
WHAT WE NEED IS MORE MEN LIKE TRUNOV!
Original title: uPobolshe takikh TrunovikhP First published in Krasnii kavalerist, August
13,1920, signed “War correspondent for the Sixth Cavalry Division, K. Lyutov.”
THE KNIGHTS OF CIVILIZATION
Original title: “Ritsari tsivilizatsii.” First published in Krasnii kavalerist, August 14, 1920, signed K.L.
See also 1920 Diary entry for August 8.
DISPATCH OFFICE, SHAPE UP!
Original title: “Ekspeditsiyapodtyanis? First published in Krasnii kavalerist, September
11,1920.