The history of any country is formed not only on the battlefields and great construction sites, but also at the dinner table. The morale of a soldier at the front is determined by the quality of his diet. The same can be said for an engineer or a bulldozer operator who lives and works in peacetime. All these and many discoveries were made by the Russian scientist William Vasilyevich Pokhlebkin.
Youth
William Pokhlebkin is known to a wide range of readers and, in general, curious people as the author of fascinating and useful books. The biography of this man can be read like an adventure story. According to the birth certificate, he was born on August 20, 1923 in the family of a hereditary revolutionary. The child's parents lived in Moscow. Pokhlebkin is not his father's real surname, but his pseudonym at the time when he was engaged in revolutionary work. According to his passport, he was listed as Vasily Mikhailovich Mikhailov.
William grew up in a healthy atmosphere. He was accustomed to physical and intellectual labor. He knew well how his friends and neighbors lived. At an early age, he showed the ability to master foreign languages. After school I was going to continue my education at the university, but the war began, and all plans had to be postponed until later. Having received a certificate of maturity, Pokhlebkin volunteered for the front. During the winter counteroffensive near Moscow, he received a severe concussion. He could be "written off on the commission", but the famous culinary specialist asked to keep him in the service at the headquarters of the regiment - he was fluent in German.
In 1945, Pokhlebkin entered the Faculty of International Relations at Moscow State University. His scientific career was developing quite successfully. Already in the early 1950s, William Vasilyevich Pokhlebkin defended his doctoral dissertation on the history of the labor movement in Eastern Europe. Relationships with colleagues in science and management were uneven. As a result, he was denied access to all archives and was asked to resign from the Institute of History, where he taught.
Culinary expert
The involuntary transition to "free bread" did not bring joy to Pokhlebkin, but it did not become a reason for despondency. With his characteristic scrupulousness and consistency, he began to study the history of culinary. The first big topic is the beneficial properties of chacha and the rules for its preparation. In the mid-60s, a book entitled "Tea" was published. The readers accepted the book with gratitude. The official press was dismissive. Further articles and recipes of the author began to appear in newspapers. Pokhlebkin had friends among journalists who helped him in this matter.
It is interesting to note that, according to official data, by the mid-70s, the calorie content of the diet of Soviet people was equal to that of the Americans. However, this became possible due to two products - potatoes and bread. The party and the government continued to care about the welfare of the people in their own way, and Pokhlebkin participated in this process to the best of his ability. In 1991 he published his most famous book, The History of Vodka. She became a real bestseller.
The personal life of William Vasilyevich Pokhlebkin was uneven. The scientist and culinary specialist married twice. In the first case, the husband and wife lived for several years and decided to leave without a scandal. Love was gone, what else was there to do? The second time Pokhlyobkin got married on the initiative of a young lady, whose name was Evdokia. A son was born in marriage. After a while, the young wife left the "learned worm". William Pokhlebkin tragically died in the spring of 2000.
