ILYA TURIN (27.07.1980 - 24.08.1999)

Ilya Turin  was born to the family of journalists in Moscow. He attended the lyceum at the Russian State Humanitarian University (RSHU). Ilya had written poems since early childhood though the main cycle, included into the selection of his works, was composed in 1995 - 1997.

Having finished the lyceum, for a year Ilya worked at the Sklifosovsky Ambulance Research Institute because he wanted to become a doctor. In 1998 he entered the Russian State Medical University (RSMU) and continued to write essays and articles. At the peak of his creative carrier  the tragedy took place: Ilya sank when swimming in the Moskva-river on 24 August, 1999. His last article Russian Character was published in the Literary Gazette on 6 October, 1999, after the author’s death.

In spring, 2000, the Literature Publishing House (Moscow) issued Letters by Ilya Turin; the book was favourably reviewed in the press. The poet Marina Kudimova wrote in the Literary Gazette that she considered it the main event of the Millenium. In 2003 there was the presentation of The immersion comprising Marina Kudimova’s essay on Ilya’s poetry  and the 19-year-old poet’s poems, Shakespeare play and diaries.

Ilya’s friends recorded the Of the Same Age with the Moon CD of his songs.

 

THE ILYA-PRIZE

In  2000 the Ilya Turin’s Memory Fund and the Ilya Turin’s Memory Literary Prize were established. The Ilya-Prize covers poems, essays and - since 2003 - plays. The Ilya-Prize is an annual charity event aimed - alongside with the propaganda of Ilya Turin’s creative works -  to help a person of outstanding literary talent to start his or her creative carrier. The competition jury consists of poets Yuri Kublanovsky, Yuri Belikov (Perm), Olga Ermolaeva, critics Valentin Kurbatov (Pskov), Konstantin Ivanov (Novosibirsk), Igor Bludilin, an actor Nikolai Tyrin, journalists Irina Medvedeva and Nikolai Turin. As the result of the competition, the winner’s book is published within the Ilya-Prize series (the Algorithm Publishing House, Moscow).

Manuscripts (poems, essays and -  in the third tier - a play) are annually received between 1 October and 31 March at the following addresses:

1) the Tribune newspaper’s editorial office, 24, Pravda Str., Moscow 125993, GSP-3, Russia

2) E-mail: ilyadom@yandex.ru

The results of the Ilya-Prize literary competition are annually summed up in Moscow on 10 May.

 

THE ILYA ALMANAC

Since 2002 the Ilya Turin’s Memory Fund has published the annual literary Ilya almanac  (the Grail Publishing House, Moscow). The first and second issues of the almanac comprised the works by Ilya Turin as well as the poems and essays by the Ilya-Prize winners and by the famous Russian poets and critics Yuri Kublanovsky, Marina Kudimova, Yuri Belikov, Valentin Kurbatov, Konstantin Ivanov, Alexander Melikhov, etc.

 

THE ILYA TURIN’S MEMORY AUGUST FESTIVAL

The Ilya Turin’s Memory August Festival was held in Moscow on 20-31 August, 2004. The festival is devoted to the 5th anniversary of the poet’s tragic death. The participants will include some famous writers, poets, journalists, musicians and artists as well as the Ilya-Prize winners and short-listed authors from all the tiers of the competition. The program comprises the performance of Ilya Turin’s Shakespeare play, concerts of classic music and bard songs, an exhibition and a poetry party.

 

For further information on Ilya Turin, the Ilya-Prize and the Ilya Turin’s Memory Fund see the Ilya’s House site