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Где-то году в 1936-м в подмосковный дом отдыха приехали три поэта из Белоруссии: Янка Купала, Изи Харик и Зелик Аксельрод. Причем, если Купала писал по-белорусски, то его спутники стихи писали на родном для них языке идиш. Отдых сразу пошел в «правильном» направлении, и уже к вечеру третьего дня все взятые с собой деньги волшебным образом превратились в головную боль и гору пустой стеклопосуды. Пришлось поэтам тащиться на почту и давать слезную телеграмму в Минск, чиновнику по фамилии Лесин, ответственному за материальное благосостояние белорусской литературы. Всплеск поэтического вдохновения, усугубленный голодом и похмельем, привели к тому, что телеграмма получилась в стихах и заканчивалась следующим эпохальным двустишием:
Мир без денег тесен,
Хоб рахмонэс, Лесин.
Хоб рахмонэс, Лесин.
— Что за непонятные телеграммы посылаете, граждане? Может быть, это шифр такой? Может быть, вы шпионы?
Несмотря на анекдотичность ситуации, неприятности могли последовать более чем серьезные. Объяснять про язык идиш не следовало: первые звоночки в виде закрытия еврейских школ уже раздавались. Необходимо было срочно придумать «отмазку». И гениальный поэт Купала ее придумал.
— Товарищ, — сказал он милиционеру, — какой шифр, о чем вы? Это же просто подписи. Это наши фамилии в телеграмме. Вот он, — Купала указал на Харика — Хоб, а этот, — он кивнул в сторону Аксельрода — Рахмонэс, ну а я — Лесин. Вот и всё.
Милиционер посмотрел на Харика и подозрительно переспросил:
— Хоб?
— Хоб, Хоб, — с готовностью подтвердил тот. — Белорусский писатель Изи Хоб.
Аксельрода милиционер не стал даже спрашивать. И так было видно, что фамилия Рахмонэс подходит к нему как хорошо сшитый костюм.
Телеграмма была благополучно отправлена, новоявленные Хоб, Рахмонэс и Лесин получили аванс за никогда не изданную книгу, и отдых продолжился. Увы, это был последний случай, когда поэтам удалось обмануть бдительность органов. Харик был арестован и расстрелян в 1937 году как член «троцкистско-зиновьевского блока», Аксельрод — в 1941-м. Купала погиб в 1942-м при невыясненных обстоятельствах: разбился, упав в лестничный пролет гостиницы «Москва»...
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Story as it was promised , in a begging of the post for English speaking readers of my blog.
In 1936 three poets came from Belarus (Yanka Kupala, Izi Harik and Zoellick Axelrod) to the resort near Moscow Minsk
A world without money is too small,
Hob rahmones, Lesin.
( believe me, it rimes vary nicely in Russian)
Mysterious words "Hob rahmones" did not constitute any puzzles for Lesin, nor for Kupala, as for most of the former inhabitants of the Pale. Translated from the Yiddish meaning "Have a sympathy." However, the poets failed to realize that in the Central Russian region, in contrast to their nativeBelarus
- What a strange telegram you are sending? Maybe you are trying to send coded message, are you hiding something? Maybe you are spies?
Despite the anecdotal situation, more than serious trouble could follow. Explanations about the Yiddish language would not help much: the first steps in the form of the closure of Jewish schools have already been done. It was necessary to come up with " urgent excuse." And the genius of Kupala thought of one write away.
- Comrade, - he said to the policeman, - a code, what are you talking about? This is just a signature. This is our last names in the telegram. Here he is - Kupala indicated to Harik - Hob, and he is - by nodding toward Axelrod - Rahmones, well, and I am - Lessin. That's it.
The policeman looked suspiciously and asked toward Harik:
- Hob?
- Hob, Hob - readily confirmed Belarusian writer Izzy Haub.
Axelrod was not even asked. And so it was obvious that the name Rahmones fitted him as well-tailored suit.
The telegram was successfully sent. The day latter Hob, Rahmones and Lesin received an advance for a book what never was published, and the rest continued. It was the last time the poets managed to deceive the authorities. Harik was arrested and executed in 1937 as a member of the "Trotsky-Zinoviev bloc," Axelrod - in 1941. Kupala was killed in 1942 under mysterious circumstances: by falling into the stairwell of the hotel "Moscow
A world without money is too small,
Hob rahmones, Lesin.
( believe me, it rimes vary nicely in Russian)
Mysterious words "Hob rahmones" did not constitute any puzzles for Lesin, nor for Kupala, as for most of the former inhabitants of the Pale. Translated from the Yiddish meaning "Have a sympathy." However, the poets failed to realize that in the Central Russian region, in contrast to their native
- What a strange telegram you are sending? Maybe you are trying to send coded message, are you hiding something? Maybe you are spies?
Despite the anecdotal situation, more than serious trouble could follow. Explanations about the Yiddish language would not help much: the first steps in the form of the closure of Jewish schools have already been done. It was necessary to come up with " urgent excuse." And the genius of Kupala thought of one write away.
- Comrade, - he said to the policeman, - a code, what are you talking about? This is just a signature. This is our last names in the telegram. Here he is - Kupala indicated to Harik - Hob, and he is - by nodding toward Axelrod - Rahmones, well, and I am - Lessin. That's it.
The policeman looked suspiciously and asked toward Harik:
- Hob?
- Hob, Hob - readily confirmed Belarusian writer Izzy Haub.
Axelrod was not even asked. And so it was obvious that the name Rahmones fitted him as well-tailored suit.
The telegram was successfully sent. The day latter Hob, Rahmones and Lesin received an advance for a book what never was published, and the rest continued. It was the last time the poets managed to deceive the authorities. Harik was arrested and executed in 1937 as a member of the "Trotsky-Zinoviev bloc," Axelrod - in 1941. Kupala was killed in 1942 under mysterious circumstances: by falling into the stairwell of the hotel "
