Portrety muzułmanów we współczesnej prozie rosyjskiej

Abstract

Due to its geographic location and foreign policy, Russia’s contacts with Islamic adherents date back to old times and have been subject to varying fluctuations throughout history. It is enough to mention historical facts like Tatar invasions, wars with Turks in the nineteenth century, conquest of the Caucasus, joining the Caucasus republics to the USSR after the revolution, military intervention in Afghanistan and Chechnya, the influx of Muslims from the former Soviet republics to Russia to find a better life. In official works after the revolution, the ideas of equality and fraternity were promoted among all the Soviet nations. The concepts of heroes were subordinated to the ideas of class struggle, regardless of their nationality or confession. In 20s and 30s of the 20th century, we meet the representatives of traditional Muslim nations, most often as supporters of revolution and postrevolutionary changes or as enemies, ancestors of today’s Taliban. The fight with schemes began only in the second half of the 1980s when the “reconstruction” wave published works depicting the tragedy of displacement of the so-called “small nations” including the Chechens, the Crimean Tatars and others. In the novel Golden Cloud Slept [Nočevala tučka zolotaâ] by A. Pristavkin and Decade [Dekada] by S. Lipkin they treat the representatives of these nations as victims of Soviet totalitarianism. The next stage of increased interest in Muslims in Russian literature triggered wars with Afghanistan and later two Chechen wars. Although the authors of books on these wars (S. Alexievich, Boys in Zinc [Cinkovye mal’čiki]; O. Yermakov, Afghan Tales [Afganskie rasskazy]; V. Makanin, Asan [Asan]; Z. Prilepin, The Pathologies [Patologii]) firstly depict the condition of the Russian army, symbolizing the condition of the whole Soviet and post-Soviet society and the mentality and behavior of the soldier in the war completely unnecessary and absurd, but for obvious reasons they also create an image of the enemy. Afghan and Chechen Mujahideen are seen by the opposite side as brave and courageous men, but at the same time cruel, cunning, and awakening fear. Under conditions of war they must be absolutely destroyed to survive. On the other hand, the civilian population as a victim of war, although representing a foreign, incomprehensible culture and often supporting partisans arouses compassion for the soldiers. The negative attitude of modern Russian society (Islamophobia and migrantophobia) to Caucasian traders on Russian bazaars fully reflects the novel of V. Rasputin, Daughter of Ivan and Ivan’s mother [Doč’ Ivana, mat’ Ivana].