Apokalipsa po rosyjsku (Dmitrij Głuchowski, Outpost)

Abstract

The subject of the analysis is the novel Outpost and Outpost 2 by Dmitry Glukhovsky. In this work, the author draws on post-apocalyptic roots and outlines a vision of Russia after the catastrophe – the civil war, which made Russia only formally exist as a state. Unlike the classic post-apocalyptic works in which we already observe a solidified “new world”, Glukhovsky focuses on the process of its creation – an element omitted in “mature” post-apocalyptic literature – mainly from the sociological point of view. The emphasis on the social aspect in combination with the political dimension makes the novel go beyond the scope of popular literature. It is also a painful, dystopian reflection on the projected future of Russia – a country which, according to the author, has not managed to break out of the vicious circle of utopian mania for greatness.