Ilya Kormiltsev facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ilya Kormiltsev
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| Native name |
Илья Кормильцев
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| Born | 26 September 1959 Sverdlovsk, USSR |
| Died | 4 February 2007 (aged 47) London, UK |
| Occupation | poet, translator, and publisher |
| Language | Russian |
| Alma mater | Ural State University |
Ilya Valeryevich Kormiltsev (Russian: Илья́ Вале́рьевич Корми́льцев; September 26, 1959 – February 4, 2007) was a talented Russian poet, translator, and publisher. He is best known for writing songs for Nautilus Pompilius. This was one of the most popular rock bands in the Soviet Union and later Russia during the 1980s and 1990s.
Ilya Kormiltsev was also a very important literary translator. He translated many modern books into Russian. These included famous novels like Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club and Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting. In 2003, he started his own publishing company called Ultra.Kultura. This company quickly became known for publishing unique and sometimes challenging books. It was later closed by authorities in 2007.
Contents
A Look at Ilya Kormiltsev's Life
Early Life and Music
Ilya Kormiltsev was born in a city called Sverdlovsk, which is now known as Yekaterinburg. He had a younger brother named Eugene. Ilya went to an English-focused public school. After high school, he studied at SPSU for a year. Then, he moved to Ural State University, where he studied Chemistry and graduated in 1981.
Starting in 1981, Ilya began writing songs for various rock groups. These included bands like Urfin Jus and musicians such as Nastya Poleva. In 1983, he met Vyacheslav Butusov and Dmitry Umetsky from the rock band Nautilus Pompilius. The songs Ilya wrote for them helped the band become huge stars in Russian rock music. Their 1986 album, "Razluka," is still considered one of the best albums of its time. In 1989, the band received a special award, but Ilya Kormiltsev chose not to accept it.
In 1995, Ilya was baptized. His godmother was Natalya Trauberg. Nautilus Pompilius broke up in 1997. The band's leader, Vyacheslav Butusov, said it was because they were "exhausted." Friends remember that the breakup was difficult for everyone in the band.
After the band split, Ilya started exploring new types of music. He became interested in hip-hop. He even dyed his hair orange and went to rave parties. With his friend Oleg Sakmarov, Ilya created a trip-hop music project called "Chuzhie" (which means "Aliens"). They recorded one album together. Many people still consider it a top album in Russian electronic music.
His Career in Books
In 1990, Ilya Kormiltsev began working as a literary translator. He was very good at both English and French. He translated many books from these languages into Russian. After Nautilus Pompilius broke up in 1997, Ilya started working for a Russian magazine called "Inostrannaya Literatura."
He translated books by many famous writers. These included authors like J. R. R. Tolkien, Roald Dahl, Irvine Welsh, and Chuck Palahniuk. In 2000, he also tried working as a publisher. He became a manager for a special series of modern foreign literature at a company called "Inostranka Publishing House."
In 2003, Ilya Kormiltsev founded his own publishing house, Ultra.Kultura. He was the main editor until he passed away in 2007. This publishing house focused on books that were often seen as challenging or had very strong opinions. One of its first books was by an author with very strong views, which caused some disagreements.
Even so, Ilya continued to publish authors with many different viewpoints. These included writers from various backgrounds and beliefs. Ultra.Kultura was often talked about in public. Some people even felt that the books promoted ideas that were not allowed. However, Ilya believed that such books should have age limits.
In late 2006, authorities looked for copies of a book published by Ultra.Kultura. It was a combined edition of "Apocalypse Culture" by Adam Parfrey. Most copies were taken and destroyed. This was because the book included an essay that authorities believed promoted certain activities that were not allowed.
Ilya Kormiltsev's Final Years
In late 2006, Ilya Kormiltsev and his family traveled to London. On his first day there, Ilya fell and hurt his spine. Because his publishing company had been closed, Ilya had no income or medical insurance in England. For several months, he could not go to a hospital. He even refused his wife's requests for him to get help.
Finally, his friends helped him get into a hospital on January 22, 2007. There, doctors found that he had an incurable spinal cancer. The cancer was very advanced and needed expensive treatment. Ilya's friends reached out to Roman Abramovich, who was a fan of Nautilus Pompilius. He gave 15,000 pounds and helped Ilya move to the Royal Marsden Hospital.
By this time, Ilya's friends and family had also organized a fundraising effort across Russia. They managed to collect over 80,000 pounds for him. Even when he was very sick, Ilya kept working. He wrote poetry and managed issues related to Ultra.Kultura. He passed away on February 4, 2007, at the age of 47.
His funeral was held at Troyekurovskoye Cemetery in Moscow. Many friends, fans, and colleagues attended the ceremony. However, Vyacheslav Butusov, the leader of Nautilus Pompilius, did not come. In 2009, a monument designed by Alexander Korotich was placed on Ilya's grave.
Geydar Dzhemal, who led the Islamic Committee of Russia, announced that Ilya Kormiltsev had embraced Islam before he died. At first, Ilya's friends and family said this was not true. But after the funeral, they announced that Ilya had been buried in a special cloth called a savan, facing Mecca, as is customary in Islamic burials.
A special bench was placed in memory of Ilya Kormiltsev at Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. In 2018, officials in Ekaterinburg announced that an alley would be named after him. In 2007, former staff of Ultra.Kultura and other colleagues announced they would create a literary award in Ilya's honor.
In 2016, Ilya Kormiltsev's widow, Alesya Mankovskaya, and his old friend Oleg Sakmarov brought back the "Chuzhie" music project. They recorded new songs using Oleg's music and lyrics they found on Ilya's computer.
