Surrogate Fathers and Sons: Aleksandr Volkov's Historical Fiction for Children

Abstract

Surrogate Fathers and Sons:Aleksandr Volkov's Historical Fiction for Children Erika Haber (bio) The life of a tyrant is a misfortune for humanity, but his history is always useful, both for the sovereigns and for the peoples. —N. M. Karamzin, Istoriia gosudarstva Rossiiskogo Best known today for his 1939 Russian adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and subsequent Magic Land series, A. M. Volkov (1891–1977)1 welcomed the Soviet establishment's call in the 1930s for new voices in children's writing and a greater emphasis on the production of works with a historical focus. A professor of mathematics in Moscow at the time, Volkov immediately threw himself into the research and writing of his most ambitious and mature works of historical fiction: Two Brothers (Dva brata), which focused on Peter the Great, and Architects (Zodchie), set in sixteenth-century Russia during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Volkov intended both of these historical novels for adolescents, and he researched and wrote them over a long period, spending twenty-three years (1938–61) revising the first book and eight years (1946–54) working on the second. Architects came out immediately upon its completion in 1954, but Two Brothers, which was begun in 1938 and accepted for publication in 1941, did not appear in print until 1950; a second, significantly revised and expanded version was published in 1961.2 Since the creation of these novels coincided with some of the darker years of Stalinism, the traumas of the Second World War, and the required method of Socialist Realism, the timing of their composition and publication most certainly affected their content and style, but not in the ways one would expect given the specific demands and expectations for children's literature by the Communist Party leadership. By the mid-'30s Socialist Realism had become largely prescriptive, providing formulaic plots, pre-established settings, and, most importantly, standardized character types (Stites 67). Children's literature during these years [End Page 169] became more ideological and focused on the everyday experiences of children as part of the communist collective that was supposed to be bigger and more important than their individual lives (Dobrenko, "School Tale" 48). Although some writers, such as Volkov, found ways to work around these demands, this approach became highly charged and dangerous under Stalinism, when even the biggest names in children's writing faced persecution and worse.3 Instead of using the stock black-and-white Socialist Realist heroes, Volkov created a cast of psychologically well-developed and relatively complex characters who enjoyed especially interesting surrogate family relationships. Volkov's portrayal of family dynamics and the subsequent role models for children that he created in these two novels differ significantly from the established formats and previous models, making these novels an interesting and daring example of how one author managed to subtly subvert the formulas of Socialist Realism in such a way as to create genuinely educational and entertaining historical fiction rather than mere ideological tracts. Historical fiction proved a useful means for creating a handy genealogy for the Soviet state, for recasting history, and for promoting nationalism and patriotism during the war years. It flourished in Stalin's Soviet Union and became a critical genre for children as well.4 Children's historical novels were thought to be more effective teaching tools than straight history texts because they brought the history to life with their active plots and adventurous characters; furthermore, it was believed that they stimulated the imagination, which helped children to understand and to remember historical details (Davin 155). However, the official adoption of the Socialist Realist method in 1934 meant that all texts—including literary and historical ones—became vehicles for the furthering of the values and teachings of the Party. According to Katerina Clark and Evgeny Dobrenko, now "culture and Soviet power were finally hitched together" (139). Since the building of the communist state was a work in progress, would-be authors had to contend with the shifting nuances of ideology and symbolism over time. The method of Socialist Realism is not known for its aesthetic qualities, as Clark notes, but is better understood as parabolic, a way of providing instruction through example...