Nom de plume
About Max Simov
Maximov was the real surname of my Mordovian maternal grandfather who gave it up at the age of 19 in order to volunteer for the Red Army during the Civil War of 1917-1922. He was an ardent Bolshevik and thought it was his duty to fight for the just cause. He signed up and went every day to the enlisting station, but his name never came up. The conscription age was 21 — he was too young. Then one day a name was called out and, as no one answered, my grandfather stepped forward. From that moment he became someone else.
When young, I remember our Mordovian relatives, the Maximovs, visiting us in the Caucasus, and making fun of grandad’s adopted name. I didn’t like the surname and fantasised that one day when I grew up, I would reclaim the original name. With this book, I saw the chance.
Svetlana Carsten
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