Once a famous Soviet poet asked that the pen be equated with a bayonet. Indeed, on the literary front, the sharpest battles took place, in which writers lost their hard-won traditions and were forced to leave their homeland. Of course, emigration is preferable to a death sentence. But isolation from the origins and familiar atmosphere brings severe suffering. Many remained in a foreign land. And someone was lucky enough to return to their native land. The fate of the Soviet writer Ephraim Sevela is a clear confirmation of this.
War childhood
The 20th century left in the past seems to the present generation to be harsh and tough. This view contains a certain amount of truth. However, in addition to suffering, there were also pleasant moments, joyful days and cheerful evenings. First, it must be said that under the name Efraim Sevela, Efim Drabkin was engaged in writing. Fate wished that the child was born on March 8, 1928 in the family of a Soviet officer. Parents at that time lived in the city of Bobruisk. The boy grew up and developed in a healthy environment. He was prepared for an independent life, taught to work and respectful attitude towards elders.
The time has come and the future famous writer Efraim Sevela went to school. He studied easily and even with pleasure. All plans for the future were confused by the war. The father was immediately sent to the active army, and the mother, along with her son and daughter, were sent to evacuation. An emergency happened on the way. A train with refugees was bombed by fascist planes. The blast wave threw Yefim off the platform. Thank God that the teenager survived. But he was irretrievably behind the echelon. In the pre-front confusion, he dangled restless for a long time. In the end he joined the gunners. The guy was accepted for allowance, picked up a uniform and recognized as the "son of the regiment."
The military unit took part in the hostilities, and Yefim did not sit in the rear. He ended the war on the territory of defeated Germany and returned to his native ashes with the medal "For Courage". From his own experience, the matured teenager learned how people live and work after the war, and what tasks they have to solve. He had to work hard to make up for lost time and graduate from school. The young man decided to continue his education at the Belarusian State University, and in 1948 he entered the department of journalism. Simultaneously with his studies, his professional career began - Drabkin was accepted as a correspondent for the newspaper "Youth of Lithuania".
For six years, the correspondent of the youth newspaper traveled around the cities and towns of the republic. I was gaining impressions. As they say, he stuffed his hand and developed his own style. For a writer, journalistic work is very useful. What he saw with his own eyes will forever remain in his memory. Before his eyes, the country healed the wounds inflicted by the war. In parallel with this, other trends were forming. Responsible comrades used their official position for personal enrichment. The children, left unattended, grew up and joined the ranks of lawbreakers. Such topics were not reflected in the pages of the official press.
Moscow emigrant
In 1955 he moved to Moscow, where he continued the work he had begun in the provinces on screenplays. It is important to note that the work of Ephraim Sevela was appreciated in the Soviet Union. The author wrote the scripts while living in the capital, and the films were shot at his native Belarusfilm. The screenwriter's debut film "Our Neighbors" was shown at the All-Union screening in 1957. The creative biography of Ephraim was developing quite successfully. He receives applications from venerable directors. One by one the pictures "Good for non-combatant", "Die hard", "Until it's too late" came out on the screens. However, there is a multidirectional fermentation in the intelligentsia, and it is difficult for a writer to navigate in it.
By the beginning of the seventies, certain social contradictions had already accumulated in the Soviet Union. A certain group of people demanded permission for the free exit of Soviet citizens to Israel. This issue was not resolved "peacefully". Then, in February 1971, an initiative group seized the public reception room of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Nothing terrible happened. There were no fatalities as a result of the action of civil disobedience. However, the country's government responded with tough measures. All participants in the incident were convicted and expelled from the country. Including the trustworthy screenwriter Ephraim Sevelu.
The journey to the land of Israel was long. Sevela stayed in Paris for some time. It was in this city that a book appeared under the title "Legends of Invalid Street". In the stories, through irony and evil sarcasm, the writer's sincere love for his fellow countrymen and the land he had to leave is discerned. Having reached the "promised land" the writer did not stop his writing exercises. From under his pen there are works that are willingly published by European and American publishers. Moved to the USA. Lived and worked. Moved to London. Then to West Berlin. He returned to Paris.
Return to native land
After wandering in distant countries, Efraim Sevela returned to his homeland in 1991. He returned after the ruins of the great power remained. An invitation was sent to him on behalf of the Union of Cinematographers. Citizenship was restored without any problems or delays. We have created acceptable working conditions. The screenwriter plunged into work with renewed vigor. In a short period, he shot five films in collaboration with familiar directors. In 1995, viewers saw the final picture "Lord, who am I?"
The personal life of the screenwriter for a long time remained on the periphery of public attention. At one time, Efim Drabkin married Julia Sevel. Her surname is well suited for a literary pseudonym. In marriage, two children were born and raised - a son and a daughter. The husband and wife parted during the period of emigration. Returning to his homeland, Eraim married Zoya Osipova, who worked as an architect. The screenwriter passed away in August 2010.
