How Russian-language authors used symbolism to convey their stories
In the Soviet Union, homosexuality was illegal and taboo, but that didn't stop writers from expressing themselves through symbolism in literature.
Russian author Alexander Pushkin wrote "Eugene Onegin" in which he included a gay character named Bazilio who is described as being enamored with another man's wife. This was a veiled way for Pushkin to explore his own feelings without getting in trouble with the authorities. Another writer, Mikhail Bulgakov, wrote "The Master and Margarita", which features a demonic figure named Woland who can transform into anyone he desires, including a woman. Some believe this may be an allusion to queerness since it challenges gender norms. Vladimir Mayakovsky also wrote "Backbone Flute", a poem about a flute player whose backbone breaks and who must find someone else to play his instrument. The story has been interpreted as a metaphor for the oppression of queer people.
Code names and pseudonyms were common among LGBTQ+ writers
Many Soviet-era queer authors published under code names or pseudonyms to protect their identities.
Sergei Yesenin used the pen name Igor Severyanin when writing poetry about same-sex relationships. Anna Akhmatova wrote "Poem Without a Hero" using a male protagonist as her alter ego, but some scholars speculate she may have been referring to herself. Nikolai Gumilyov also adopted a masculine persona while writing poems about his homosexuality. Many of these authors continued publishing after Stalin's death, but they remained careful not to reveal too much information about themselves out of fear of reprisals.
Metaphors and allegories helped convey subversive messages
Metaphors and allegories were often used by queer Russian-language authors during the Soviet era to convey subtle subversive messages. In Mikhail Kuzmin's novel "Wings," two men fall in love despite being from different social classes. This could represent the class struggle that existed at the time and reflect the author's own experiences as a member of the intelligentsia. Boris Pasternak also wrote "Doctor Zhivago" which features characters with unconventional sexual preferences, but the book was banned due to its controversial content. He later won the Nobel Prize for Literature, although he had to go into exile to avoid persecution.
Censorship affected literary form and style
The censorship of queer literature forced writers to be creative in how they expressed their ideas. Vladimir Nabokov wrote novels like "Lolita" and "Pale Fire" that are now considered masterpieces, but they were originally met with criticism because of their sexual themes. Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote "Crime and Punishment", where one of the main characters is implied to be gay, but it wasn't until recently that this interpretation gained traction. Other authors like Ivan Turgenev and Leo Tolstoy explored homosexuality through their work without explicitly stating it, leaving readers to draw their own conclusions.
What narrative strategies did Soviet-era queer authors employ to resist censorship, and how did these strategies influence literary form and queer expression?
The authors of the Soviet era employed various narrative strategies to resist censorship, which had significant impact on their literary form and queer expression. One strategy was using metaphors, allegories, and symbols to convey hidden meanings and messages about homosexuality, gender roles, and sexuality that were otherwise forbidden by the authorities. This approach allowed them to explore complex themes and characters while avoiding explicit depictions that could lead to legal repercussions.