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    AC Benus
  • AC Benus
  • Author
  • 04/30/2016
  • 467 Words
  • 930 Views
  • 8 Comments
Poetry posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

My Twentieth Year - 16. Mikhail Kraminsky

Poem No. 35

 

Prelude:

 

In 1941, the City of Peter

was laid siege upon;

900 days later, it ended.

As the Nazis left

they burned the home of Peter

and his descendants, and his people.

 

 

Poem:

 

What monument could befit

Mikhail Kraminsky?

Not stone or brick, marble or glass –

Wood's inadequate from ages past

steel and cement aren’t the clue either –

for what he has done, has made man seem bright.

Mikhail Kraminsky,

for immortality you are fit.

 

How can the role of hero be filled?

In you it showed simple enough.

You are the restorer of your nation's monuments,

you rebuilt what once was present,

what once was ignorantly destroyed,

but after, you saw and had no anger to display,

you only knew crying wasn't enough,

and with a hopeful sigh, sad: "We will rebuild."

 

In forty not-so simple years

you've built a monument to yourself

through your tireless love to restore –

from piles of rubble, towns again stand,

gilded in majesty, not remade, but reclaimed –

and you, Kraminsky, for us made it the same

palaces of others, but as a monument to yourself,

you have struck away all the tears.

 

The greatest triumph of Man –

you have done no less –

where others would have only anger,

you had only conviction that's stronger;

where others would fill with concrete,

you had a vision only to restore complete.

What other monument could befit a man

who has done the greatest triumph of Man

and no less?

 

 

Postlude:

 

Let this be my memorial to you,

Mikhail Kraminsky,

And please accomplish what you have to do,

Not only for Russia, but for all to know that dreams come true,

Mikhail Kraminsky.[1]

 

 

 

 

[1] This poem was written after watching a documentary on television. The National Geographic Society was working with the Public Broadcasting Service to make periodic shows at this time, and one featured the ongoing work of Russian historians to restore monuments destroyed in World War II. I have looked, and not been able to find this documentary online. It has also been frustration not finding any information on Mikhail Kraminsky when searching for him (in English, at least). I do have this mention from The Palaces of Leningrad, by Victor and Audrey Kennett, 1973 London. The book is dedicated: "TO OUR BROTHER, MIKHAIL ASAREVICH KRAMINSKY, ARCHITECT, AND RESTORER TO HIS CITY'S MONUMENTS." So, at least I know I have spelled his name correctly wink.png  

03-30 update: I found the video! The story of Kraminsky's efforts begins at min. 19:30, and is well worth watching. If you cannot see the video, its title is National Geographic – Treasures from the Past.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP7XWe6jGyI

 

_

Thanks to Peter for his help and encouragement on posting this poem.
Copyright © 2017 AC Benus; All Rights Reserved.
  • Like 5
Poetry posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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Chapter Comments

J.HunterDunn

I just love it, when someone is inspired enough by what another person accomplished to write a poem in his dedication. There are so many people I admire and/or are in awe of who would deserve the same treatment.

 

As for the subject of the poem: I was born and grew up in a city where vast areas were still barren at the time. The rubble left by bombardments was long cleared away, but not everywhere rebuilding had begun. Now it's filled with concrete and steel, for there wasn't much left to restore. They clearly didn't have an equivalent of Mikhail Kraminsky.

 

You erected your own monument for a monument-restorer and should be proud of it.

  • Like 1
AC Benus
On 04/30/2016 12:00 PM, Mikiesboy said:

A hero in his own right. How strange there's no info about him. Interesting topic. Well written and frankly informative too.

Thanks AC!!

Thanks, Tim. I suppose if I could search for him in Russian, I would – hopefully! – find lots of info about him. The Soviet and then later Russian governments allocated a lot of resources to fixing the war damage.

 

Cheers for your support :)

AC Benus

AC Benus 36,631

Posted (edited)

On 4/29/2016 at 7:22 PM, Parker Owens said:

Thanks for this. How often we forget those who replace and repair and make whole what was destroyed. This sort of work ought to be more widely known.

As I was thinking about responding to these reviews, more memories came back to me about the other 'stuff' in the documentary I could not find. When I searched for 'carousel' and 'airplane,' lo and behold, I found it!!!

 

The story of Kraminsky's efforts begins at min. 19:30, and is well worth watching. If you cannot see the video, its title is National Geographic – Treasures from the Past.

 

 

The gentleman is referred to as "Alexander Kraminsky," but I trust my printed reference to the man's name as Mikhail Asarevich Kraminsky is more accurate than the TV show.

 

Thanks for a great review, and for all of your support!

Edited by AC Benus
AC Benus
On 05/01/2016 07:27 AM, J.HunterDunn said:

I just love it, when someone is inspired enough by what another person accomplished to write a poem in his dedication. There are so many people I admire and/or are in awe of who would deserve the same treatment.

 

As for the subject of the poem: I was born and grew up in a city where vast areas were still barren at the time. The rubble left by bombardments was long cleared away, but not everywhere rebuilding had begun. Now it's filled with concrete and steel, for there wasn't much left to restore. They clearly didn't have an equivalent of Mikhail Kraminsky.

 

You erected your own monument for a monument-restorer and should be proud of it.

Peter, thank you sincerely for your feedback and support. I find it difficult to judge my poetry, especially these examples written so long ago, so information from you that it was worthy of posting made all the difference.

 

I found the documentary that inspired me to create this tribute. It's posted below, and I hope you have a chance to 'walk in my footsteps' and see what made me want to write a tribute to Mr. Kraminsky.

 

Thanks again, dear friend!

AC Benus
On 05/03/2016 09:20 AM, skinnydragon said:

Very sensitive, AC!

Each stanza has the comparison of what could have been, what normally would have been, to what he did and made happen.

That, in itself, was a very powerful message.

 

Stirring poem!

Thank you for the review, skinny! I like your analysis, and always appreciate your comments and thoughts.

 

Thanks again!

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