MOSCOW, September 5 (RIA Novosti) — Sergei Dovlatov, a famous Russian writer and Soviet dissident, will soon have a street named after him in Forest Hills, New York City.
The organizers of the grass-roots campaign stated in their Change.org appeal that they wanted “to commemorate Dovlatov’s legacy, to show appreciation for his talent, and to express the enormous gratitude from his readers.”
Their initiative started last December, and by April the group had collected over 18,000 signatures and letters of support, which was sufficient for the New York City Council to consider the application. In June, the Council met and passed a bill to name a street after the writer. On July 9, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the bill into law. The official opening ceremony will be held on September 7.
Dovlatov was born on September 3, 1941 in Russia to Jewish and Armenian parents, grew up in St. Petersburg, and worked in a variety of Russian and Estonian newspapers. He was friends with famous dissident poets and writers, including Joseph Brodsky, Evgeni Rein and Alexander Ney.
Dovlatov was expelled from the Union of Soviet Journalists for publishing unauthorized literature. He soon immigrated to New York City, where he wrote novels and short stories that were translated into English. In the mid-1980s, The New Yorker magazine published Dovlatov’s work, which resulted in him gaining notoriety and respect among English-speaking readers.
His most famous books include non-fiction novels “The Zone”, “The Suitcase” and “Sanctuary.”
Sergei Dovlatov is the first Russian writer to be honored with a street named after him in New York City.
