Shulpyakov, G. (2020). The West toward the East. Moscow: Eksmo. (In Russ.)

Abstract

Shulpyakov’s book of essays invites the reader to give another thought to the age-old conflict: Where does the West end and the East begin? Is Russia an Asian country, even halfway? Russia serves as the point of attraction and the author’s self-reflection. Ensuring the book’s thematic diversity, the author covers the perennial topics of history, culture, and literature, all considered in a global context; whereas the semantic depth is achieved by more private motifs. A pivotal switching of the focus occurs at the end of the book, when Russia is presented as part of the Western world, geographically (and culturally), with regard to Turkey. Emphasised is the notional character of the world’s division into two parts. Contrasting one with the other merely helps the author to start a conversation, while The West toward the East [Zapad na Vostok] looks like a philological experiment: the author is trying to come to terms with his cultural inheritance, resolve the conflict between the tradition and fluidity, and discover a fitting place for himself and his country in a global context.