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dinara221b 's review for:
Sankya
by Zakhar Prilepin
Trying to Figure Out Who Is Who in the Novel of Zakhar Prilepin Sankya
“You are either with us, or against us”-the motto of Sasha Tishin, a protagonist of the novel Sankya written by Zakhar Prilepin in 2006. The plot takes place in the contemporary Russia. Young Sasha is a member of the radical left-patriotic organization “The Founders”. Members of the organization are mostly young hooligans who are distantly governed by their creator Kostenko, who is in prison. In the novel, the world of Sasha is divided into black and white, into “us” and “them”. Sasha clearly knows who he is against but does not know who he is. His identity is constructed on the basis on hate to his enemies, whose ideology he despises. Simply, he is not them and this is enough. Such literary device is called negative identity, which is used in novel to describe the motivation of Sasha and “The Founders”.
Knowing so little about political setting in the contemporary Russia, it is hard to figure out who is who in the world of Sankya. The image of “The Founders” is based on pre-existing National Bolshevik Party which was critical of Vladimir Putin’s politics and was striving to make Russia great again by bringing back Bolshevism. Some critics consider National Bolshevik Party being neo-fascist. So, in the book, Sasha is the member of such organization. He is not on the top of hierarchy, but somewhere in the middle. He is respected and knows all members, if not by names, then by their faces. In the organization, Sasha and other guys organize mass protests, some funny demonstration like hanging anti-government leaflets on poles very high (by standing on each other’s shoulders) that police cannot reach them, but also dangerous and cruel demonstrations such as breaking shop windows, and seizure of television tower in Riga. In general, “The Founders” fight to return back the old idealized Russia, in which people were happy. However, all other characters in the book cannot understand what they do and for.
The book shows both sides of the “war”. From one side we have a sympathetic protagonist Sasha Tishin, who knows who is right and who is wrong. From the other side, we have all other Russians and not only Russian characters who try to bring to reason Sasha’s ideas. Bezletov (a friend of the Sasha’s father), Jewish boy Leva, Sasha’s mother and even Riga journalist, all those characters throughout the novel ask him what he and his organization want. They ask him to critically look on what he does and what methods they use. Will the cruelty and silly political pranks change anything? What is the ideology of “The Founders”? In the argument with Leva, Sasha says: “…There is no longer any ideologies, Leva! Love does need any ideology. Everything, that this world has, does not require any evidences or justification. Now only one thing is vital. The redistribution of the country, as well as the redistribution of the world”. “The Founders” tries to overtake the power just because Russians are better: “…We are better. The power is needed to create the world”. But what kind of the world is possible to create if there is no ultimate vision? What kind of the world can be created on blood? We will not know answers, because Sasha is tired of arguments: there is “nothing new in them. Everybody just repeats the old thing without adding anything reasonable points”. Sasha does not change his beliefs. He does need answers on the questions thoughtful people ask. He also does not ask many questions. Sasha knows for sure: “Intractable questions did not emerge anymore. God exists. Without father is bad. Mother is kind and dear. Motherland is the only one”. And this is enough for him. Sasha is against those who took from him the Motherland.
The constant talks do not help understand the identity of “The Founders” either. Their idea and what they are for escape the understanding of readers. Either the author could not express it clearly, or it does not really exist. Is it hate for the sake of hate? Or demolition for the sake of demolition? “The Founders” believe in hate for the sake of the protection of Russia. They organize pointless protests screaming how much they hate current government. Reading about their protests and how unfairly policemen treat them after with violent beating, the readers may start to believe in them being right. Indeed, those hooligans are just young confused boys (often without a father, left for themselves without parent’s attention) who seek the truth, who just want to bring back their Motherland (in which they were too young to live!). Those boys found their place among the same lost boys. And Sasha is just another lost boy who is beaten because he wanted the truth. Besides, the unattractive description of those who has power, who live better, creates contrast between “them” and “us”. This contrast can even make readers finally believe in the Sasha’s ideology. However, evoked sympathy cannot hide the emptiness behind the ideology.
This problem of the identity does not disturb the protagonist. Knowing who he with and against helps Sasha to know who he is. Such technique of identity formation is called Negative Identity. In other words, he constructed his identity in opposition to Others, who are potential enemies. Since “you are either with us, or against us”. He knows he is not liberal and not fascist, but who he really is, is not clear till the end. In the end of the book, the reader may learn that he is a cursed son and “Russia always consumed her sons”. In other words, he sacrifices his life to bring back his motherland which was taken away by “others”. I guess you do not see logic here. To be honest me too. Sasha sacrifices his life during peaceful times because he believes in the necessity of doing it. I am writing it now after reading the book, using my cold logic, but in the context of book, it seems like a heroic decision of a real man. So, I must praise the writing style of Prilepin who could make the ideology of “The Founders” to look attractive, violent pointless demolition seem like a necessary thing, and meaningless deaths acts be an attribute of real men, who actually could sacrifice their life for the motherland.
Overall, the book is worth reading. Just try to read it critically and carefully. You should try to avoid the traps that Prilepin set with his enchanting writing style and not fall for the beautiful picture of the empty ideological vessel.
Because, there is no “us” and “others”. After all, we are all people who want to work, live and love freely. So, why would someone decide to kill us for "their" truth?
“You are either with us, or against us”-the motto of Sasha Tishin, a protagonist of the novel Sankya written by Zakhar Prilepin in 2006. The plot takes place in the contemporary Russia. Young Sasha is a member of the radical left-patriotic organization “The Founders”. Members of the organization are mostly young hooligans who are distantly governed by their creator Kostenko, who is in prison. In the novel, the world of Sasha is divided into black and white, into “us” and “them”. Sasha clearly knows who he is against but does not know who he is. His identity is constructed on the basis on hate to his enemies, whose ideology he despises. Simply, he is not them and this is enough. Such literary device is called negative identity, which is used in novel to describe the motivation of Sasha and “The Founders”.
Knowing so little about political setting in the contemporary Russia, it is hard to figure out who is who in the world of Sankya. The image of “The Founders” is based on pre-existing National Bolshevik Party which was critical of Vladimir Putin’s politics and was striving to make Russia great again by bringing back Bolshevism. Some critics consider National Bolshevik Party being neo-fascist. So, in the book, Sasha is the member of such organization. He is not on the top of hierarchy, but somewhere in the middle. He is respected and knows all members, if not by names, then by their faces. In the organization, Sasha and other guys organize mass protests, some funny demonstration like hanging anti-government leaflets on poles very high (by standing on each other’s shoulders) that police cannot reach them, but also dangerous and cruel demonstrations such as breaking shop windows, and seizure of television tower in Riga. In general, “The Founders” fight to return back the old idealized Russia, in which people were happy. However, all other characters in the book cannot understand what they do and for.
The book shows both sides of the “war”. From one side we have a sympathetic protagonist Sasha Tishin, who knows who is right and who is wrong. From the other side, we have all other Russians and not only Russian characters who try to bring to reason Sasha’s ideas. Bezletov (a friend of the Sasha’s father), Jewish boy Leva, Sasha’s mother and even Riga journalist, all those characters throughout the novel ask him what he and his organization want. They ask him to critically look on what he does and what methods they use. Will the cruelty and silly political pranks change anything? What is the ideology of “The Founders”? In the argument with Leva, Sasha says: “…There is no longer any ideologies, Leva! Love does need any ideology. Everything, that this world has, does not require any evidences or justification. Now only one thing is vital. The redistribution of the country, as well as the redistribution of the world”. “The Founders” tries to overtake the power just because Russians are better: “…We are better. The power is needed to create the world”. But what kind of the world is possible to create if there is no ultimate vision? What kind of the world can be created on blood? We will not know answers, because Sasha is tired of arguments: there is “nothing new in them. Everybody just repeats the old thing without adding anything reasonable points”. Sasha does not change his beliefs. He does need answers on the questions thoughtful people ask. He also does not ask many questions. Sasha knows for sure: “Intractable questions did not emerge anymore. God exists. Without father is bad. Mother is kind and dear. Motherland is the only one”. And this is enough for him. Sasha is against those who took from him the Motherland.
The constant talks do not help understand the identity of “The Founders” either. Their idea and what they are for escape the understanding of readers. Either the author could not express it clearly, or it does not really exist. Is it hate for the sake of hate? Or demolition for the sake of demolition? “The Founders” believe in hate for the sake of the protection of Russia. They organize pointless protests screaming how much they hate current government. Reading about their protests and how unfairly policemen treat them after with violent beating, the readers may start to believe in them being right. Indeed, those hooligans are just young confused boys (often without a father, left for themselves without parent’s attention) who seek the truth, who just want to bring back their Motherland (in which they were too young to live!). Those boys found their place among the same lost boys. And Sasha is just another lost boy who is beaten because he wanted the truth. Besides, the unattractive description of those who has power, who live better, creates contrast between “them” and “us”. This contrast can even make readers finally believe in the Sasha’s ideology. However, evoked sympathy cannot hide the emptiness behind the ideology.
This problem of the identity does not disturb the protagonist. Knowing who he with and against helps Sasha to know who he is. Such technique of identity formation is called Negative Identity. In other words, he constructed his identity in opposition to Others, who are potential enemies. Since “you are either with us, or against us”. He knows he is not liberal and not fascist, but who he really is, is not clear till the end. In the end of the book, the reader may learn that he is a cursed son and “Russia always consumed her sons”. In other words, he sacrifices his life to bring back his motherland which was taken away by “others”. I guess you do not see logic here. To be honest me too. Sasha sacrifices his life during peaceful times because he believes in the necessity of doing it. I am writing it now after reading the book, using my cold logic, but in the context of book, it seems like a heroic decision of a real man. So, I must praise the writing style of Prilepin who could make the ideology of “The Founders” to look attractive, violent pointless demolition seem like a necessary thing, and meaningless deaths acts be an attribute of real men, who actually could sacrifice their life for the motherland.
Overall, the book is worth reading. Just try to read it critically and carefully. You should try to avoid the traps that Prilepin set with his enchanting writing style and not fall for the beautiful picture of the empty ideological vessel.
Because, there is no “us” and “others”. After all, we are all people who want to work, live and love freely. So, why would someone decide to kill us for "their" truth?