Abstract
Re-evaluation of the cultural heritage of the past has been an integral part of Soviet literary criticism. From 1987 up to the present, literary criticism has played a leading role in the promotion of the economic, social and political reforms of perestroika. Literary critics use the methodology of social deconstruction in the interpretation of the literary texts of the past, actualising the problematics of the texts in accordance with their relevance to contemporary Soviet issues.
Highlights
The aim of this article is to demonstrate how the cultural clichés borrowed from nine teenth-century Russian literature form an important part in today’s Glasnost debates on the topic of national character
The polemics in literary periodicals dealing with the rise of Russian self-awareness in the period 1988-1990, as well as the role played in the discussions by the interpretation of literary works will be traced
The re-evaluation of the literary heritage has always constituted an important part of the ideological life of official literary criticism
Summary
The aim of this article is to demonstrate how the cultural clichés borrowed from nine teenth-century Russian literature form an important part in today’s Glasnost debates on the topic of national character. The polemics in literary periodicals dealing with the rise of Russian self-awareness in the period 1988-1990, as well as the role played in the discussions by the interpretation of literary works will be traced. In his essay "Russian past and Soviet present", Alain Besan^on (1984) speaks of two types of links which Soviet Russia has with its historical past: ‘normal’ links and ‘extraordinary’, or ‘abnormal’ links. By ‘normal’ links, Besangon understands the inherited geography, territory, and population; by ‘extraordinary, the searching through of past history for explanations of present misfortunes, and the exploitation of history for whatever political or ideological discussions are taking place in the Soviet Union, especially when the arguing parties cannot reach an agreement. The Soviet attitude towards its cultural heritage follows the same pattern, especially in the attitude towards Russian literature. Dosyuda (‘from here and up to here’), served as the methodological bases for the ‘extraordinary’, or ‘abnormal’ attitude to the literary past
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
