Pavlenko was a war correspondent during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–40 and World War 2. The novel "Happiness" (1947; State Prize of the USSR) was inspired by his experience during the restoration of the Crimea's economy. The hero, the Communist Voropaev, is depicted comprehensively and in depth. In collaboration with Mikheil Chiaureli, Pavlenko wrote the scripts for the films "The Vow" (1946; State Prize of the USSR, 1947) and "The Fall of Berlin" (State Prize of the USSR, 1950). He also wrote three books of essays, "American Impressions" (1949), "Young Germany" and "Italian Impressions" (both 1951). The novella "Steppe Sunlight" (1949) is clear and graphic in its language and well-defined in its aim. Pavlenko's novel "Toilers of the World" (partly published in 1952) was unfinished.