Uncensored: Samizdat Novels and the Quest for Autonomy in Soviet Dissidence (Studies in Russian Literature and Theory)

Vasilii Aksenov, Andrei Bitov, and Venedikt Erofeev were among the most acclaimed authors of samizdat, the literature that was self-published in the former Soviet Union in order to evade censorship and prosecution. In __Uncensored__, Ann Komaromi uses their work to argue for a far more sophisticated understanding of the phenomenon of samizdat, showing how the material circumstances of its creation and dissemi­nation exercised a profound influence on the very idea of dissidence, reconfiguring the relationship between author and reader. Using archival research to fully illustrate samizdat’s social and historical context, Komaromi arrives at a more nuanced theo­retical position that breaks down the opposition between the autonomous work of art and direct political engagement. The similarities between samizdat and digital culture have particular relevance for contemporary discourses of dissident subjectivity. Literature that was self-published and informally circulated in the former Soviet Union in order to evade censorship, in addition to prosecution of its authors, came to be known as samizdat. Vasilii Aksenov, Andrei Bitov, and Venedikt Erofeev were among its most acclaimed practitioners. In her innovative study, Ann Komaromi uses their work to argue for a far more sophisticated understanding of the phenomenon of samizdat, showing how the material circumstances of its creation and dissemination exercised a profound influence on the very idea of dissidence. When a text comes to life as samizdat, it necessarily reconfigures the relationship between author and reader. Using archival research to fully illustrate samizdat's social and historical context, Komaromi arrives at a more nuanced theoretical position that breaks down the opposition between the autonomous work of art and direct political engagement. The similarities between samizdat and digital culture give her formulation of dissident subjectivity particular contemporary relevance. Writing The Free Self : Cultural Autonomy And The Dissident Subject In The Late Soviet Era -- Literature And The Field Of Dissidence -- Aksenov's The Burn : Searing The Hearts Of Men -- Bitov's Pushkin House : Deconstructing The Late Soviet Subject -- On The Knife's Edge : Venichka's Performance In Moscow Stations -- Samizdat And The Extra-gutenberg Condition -- Conclusion: Soviet Dissidence And Critical Subjectivity In An Extra-gutenberg Age. Ann Komaromi. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 227-246) And Index.