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A review by tovejansson
The Moscoviad by Yuri Andrukhovych, Vitaly Chernetsky
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
A ukrainian take on Ulysses (maybe) (I haven’t read it yet), there’s definitely merit to how Andrukhovych experiments with the novel form and describes the breakdown of the Soviet Union in a surrealist, satirical way. However, I really need to start reading some female ukrainian writers because all the men I’ve read have been weird about women in an actively uncomfortable way.
I think what’s hard to grasp about Andrukhovych’s work and the general movement of Ukrainian historiography as a whole is its desire to depict Ukrainians not only solely as victims, but as the sole victims of the Russian Empire. This comes out in Andrukhovych’s one-dimensional and heavily racialized depictions of other minority groups (Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Mongols, Turkmens, and more) the hero of his novel encounters, depictions that are offensive without purpose besides to shock and offend.
I do not deny that Ukraine has suffered due to Russian actions - to do so would be to deny the horrific war that goes on as I type this. However, the insistence on victimhood can only end badly. Things do not go well when a nation refuses to acknowledge the atrocities of its past. Is this insistence on ethnic differences not how we ended up here in the first place? Can we not imagine a future beyond the human-made divisions of ethnicity and nation-state?
I think what’s hard to grasp about Andrukhovych’s work and the general movement of Ukrainian historiography as a whole is its desire to depict Ukrainians not only solely as victims, but as the sole victims of the Russian Empire. This comes out in Andrukhovych’s one-dimensional and heavily racialized depictions of other minority groups (Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Mongols, Turkmens, and more) the hero of his novel encounters, depictions that are offensive without purpose besides to shock and offend.
I do not deny that Ukraine has suffered due to Russian actions - to do so would be to deny the horrific war that goes on as I type this. However, the insistence on victimhood can only end badly. Things do not go well when a nation refuses to acknowledge the atrocities of its past. Is this insistence on ethnic differences not how we ended up here in the first place? Can we not imagine a future beyond the human-made divisions of ethnicity and nation-state?