The Soviet Literary Scene

Abstract

The first school of thought claims that we are witnessing a struggle between liberal (or anti-Stalinist) and conservative (or Stalinist) forces. The two camps are also sometimes labeled opposition-dissensional and status quoreactionary, respectively. Often a third moderate force is added to the picture to complete the formal image of a typical parliamentary debate. Each new development is then interpreted in terms of this struggle, and a score board is kept to show all successes and setbacks for both sides. The overwhelming majority of Western observers, of course, sides with the liberals, applauds their gains and laments their losses. Among the liberals are usually listed: Ehrenburg, Tvardovsky, Yevtushenko, Voznesensky, Rozhdestvensky, Nekrasov, Kazakov, and many others. They are supposed to be in control of Literaturnaya gazeta, Yunost, and Novyi mir. Their opponents include Kochetov, Surkov, Sokolov, Chakovsky, and Yefremov (to name just a few) and they are assumed to control Literatura i zhizn and Oktyabr. The moderates are said to include Fedin, Katayev, and Simonov. This division usually is justified on the basis of reading and interpreting selected works and passages from the appropriate writers, while treating it as the time-honored fight between the good guys and the bad guys. Book reviews and critical articles appearing in the Soviet press provide another major source of alleged supporting evidence for the use of the labels.