Biography
Oleg Evgenievich Grigoriev (1943-1992) - a poet and artist, a prominent representative of the Leningrad underground, was born in evacuation in the Vologda region. After the war, he moved to Leningrad with his mother and brother. He drew from early childhood, and was supposed to become an artist. He studied at the art school at the Academy of Arts, was expelled from it in 1960 with the wording "for formalism", in fact - for trying to defend his individuality. With many well-known artists today, he retained friendship. He worked as a watchman, stoker, janitor. In 1961 he composed the quatrain "I asked the electrician Petrov", which became a well-known "children's folk" poem. In 1971, he published the first book of children's poems and stories called "Eccentrics", which became popular; according to several works from it ("Hospitality", "Orange"), issues of the magazine "Yeralash" were made. Many of his poems have entered the St. Petersburg urban folklore. His poems are distinguished by aphoristic, paradoxical, elements of absurdity and black humor, which is why he is often put on a par with Kharms and other Oberiuts. However, Grigoriev differs from them in greater immediacy, sincerity and childish vulnerability. In the early 70s, he was sentenced to two years "for parasitism", was serving a sentence of forced labor - the construction of a plant in the Vologda region. Was released early. In 1975, he took part in a well-known exhibition in the Nevsky Palace of Culture. In 1981, his second children's book, Vitamin Growth, was published in Moscow. Poems from it aroused indignation among some representatives of the "official" literary circles, and Grigoriev was not admitted to the Writers' Union. His next book, "The Talking Raven", was already published in perestroika, in 1989. In the same year, he received a second conviction ("for debauchery and resistance to the police") with a suspended sentence; many poets and writers then came out in his defense. Six months before his death, he was admitted to the Writers' Union. Died April 30, 1992. Petersburg from perforation of a stomach ulcer. He was buried in St. Petersburg, at the Volkovsky cemetery, and in a house on the street. Pushkinskaya, 10 opened a memorial plaque with his name.
