The project Russian literary transformations from 1990 to 2020 aims at solving, scientifically and analytically, the apparent disparity and dispersion of current studies in order to record, systematically analyse, describe and explain the existent cultural movements, trends and tendencies of the stated period. The acquired insight into the problems of contemporary Russian literature (poetry, prose, drama), Russian culture and media in the 1990-2020 period is a great starting point for further research. We would place emphasis on local and global relevance of our project proposal: local because we are interested in the trends in Russian literature in the context of specific Russian literary and cultural traditions; and global because we will incorporate our research results with global trends in literary studies, in order to formulate and offer guidelines for future studies in Russian literature as a global phenomenon.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The goal of the project is to establish common features within distinctive literary trends, and changes within specific literary circles in order to identify and define their development. Our presumption is that the starting point, i.e. 1990, is important because it signals a cultural, historical and political milestone, while the importance of the final year, i.e. 2020 and the end of the decade, is important because it is the closest point to contemporaneity in line with the most recent literary trends of “the now and here” or “urgency” (Lipovetsky). Apart from the presumed importance of the starting and final point, we also believe that it is possible to clearly show changes in the poetic system from the 1990s to 2010, as well as a new poetic turning point in the period from 2010 onwards. Our presumptions are based on the previously performed research and studies in poetry, prose and drama.
The 30-year timeframe and three standard literary forms, including genres and hybrid genres, should reveal the logic of literary developments and poetic distinctiveness of specific literary works. Whether changes in genres compliment changes in poetics/style is something that could be established only after a thorough study of the corpus.
METHODOLOGY
Research methods for studying contemporary Russian literature of the 1990-2020 period are empirical, based on studying primary (literary) sources and critical editions in situ (work in libraries, archives, institutes, universities in Russia, Croatia and other countries). Our analytical methods are based on the presumption about the landmark transitory literary period, about poetical and not just formal difference between specific decades (the last decade of the 20th century and the 1st and 2nd decade of the 21st century) and between different generations of authors, and about changes in the poetics from 1990 onwards (genre dominations, from external to internal, from general to individual, poetic slippage, “deformations”).
Work methodology per stage:
Stage 1. Work on the corpus. Compilation of the corpus. Work with databases. Study and preparation of materials to be selected. Individual work, attending round tables, attending project meetings. Results: Identification of Russian writers whose works were published in the 1990-2020 period; classification of Russian literature pursuant to three literary forms, and further classification of genres and hybrid genres in the 1990-2020 period.
Stage 2. Corpus selection. Individual and group work. Results: Identification of distinctive features of specific literary movements in Russian literature in the 1990-2020 period; identification and classification of specific common features dominating literary texts; identify authors, generations and literary groups that belong to the given period; dissemination of results (publication of papers), conference organisation.
Stage 3. Classification and analysis. Definition of specific movements, common features. Results: Classification and periodisation of Russian literature in the 1990-2020 period; presentation of results at project meetings; international conference organisation; dissemination of results in local and international journals; presentation of final project results and publication of a book with project results by all team members.
RESARCH IMPACT
Research into the last three decades of contemporary Russian literature and culture will contribute to systematisation of the period pursuant to different genres in poetry, prose and drama. This fragmented and diverse period marked by, what could be termed as “style transformations”, unlike clearly demarcated style periods of the new Russian literature from the 18th century (Flaker, Stilske formacije, 1986; Flaker, “Novija ruska književnostu” in Ruska književnost, ed. Flaker, 1986; Lauer, Povijest ruske književnosti, 2009), will, following our research, demonstrate clear trends, poetics, generations of writers and schools. The literary period that we plan to study systematically, will be presented in a book published in Croatia and abroad. Even though there are papers, topical issues of journals, monographs and anthologies dedicated to primarily post-soviet literature (Èpshtein 2005; Lejderman and Lipoveckij 2003; Lipoveckij 2008; Koljadich 2019; Korovin 2014; Dobrenko and Tikhanov 2011; Timina 2005), so far there has been no systematic survey of Russian literature of the three landmark decades (1990-2020) published in Croatia and abroad, that would include all literary forms.
