“A person’s life should be spent like this: when recalling the past, he will not regret for wasting his years, nor will he be ashamed of being inactive; when he is dying, he can say: My whole life and all my energy have been dedicated to the most magnificent cause in the world - the struggle for the liberation of mankind."

"How Steel Was Tempered" by former Soviet writer Nikolai. ·A novel by Ostrovsky, written in 1933.

By describing the growth path of Paul Korchagin, the novel tells people that a person can only defeat the enemy and himself in the hardships of the revolution, and only by connecting his pursuit with the interests of the motherland and the people When we are together, we can create miracles and grow into steel warriors. Extended information

Writing background:

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, with the end of the New Economic Policy and the establishment of Stalin’s political and economic system, there was also a demand for a high degree of centralization and unity in the literary and art circles. situation.

The state during the Stalin period used the idea of ??"unification" to educate young people, paying particular attention to the important role of literature and art in cultivating the communist moral character of young people. Stalin required literary works to "pursue direct propaganda "Purpose", the purpose of writing many works is to instill "Communist ideals" in young people.

The official emphasizes the task of literature to "transform and educate the working people in the socialist spirit." The most direct way for literature and art to fulfill this educational function is to shape people who embody the socialist spirit and communist ideals. Heroic figures.

The theme of Soviet literature during this period was to praise socialist transformation and construction, to praise the party and leaders, and to create a glorious image of new Soviet people. The task of Soviet literature was to create images based on communist ideology. A character who absolutely believes in communism and portrays him as real and credible.

Ostrovsky responded to the official call and began to write "Steel". Paul's simple class feelings, fanatical dedication, beautiful longing for communism and absolute belief in the leader Obedience was exactly what Stalin needed to pursue his line.

In early 1927, the 22-year-old Ostrovsky was paralyzed and bedridden and blind. While fighting the disease, Ostrovsky decided to express the current situation and personal life experience through literary works. He wrote a novella about the growth of the Kotov Cavalry Brigade and its heroic battles. .

But he wrote the novel and asked his wife to send it to his comrades in the Kotov Cavalry Brigade in Odessa to ask for their opinions. The comrades enthusiastically evaluated the novel, but the manuscript was on the way back. Lost by post office.

But this did not frustrate him. While attending the Sverdlov Communist Correspondence University, he began to conceive of "How Steel Was Tempered". He endured the pain of illness and completed this book in three years on his sickbed. The story is based on his personal experience.