Sasha Chyorny’s satire “Sov. Onegin” in the context of Soviet cultural policy of the 1920s

Abstract

The article is devoted to the satirical miniature “Sov. Onegin” (1925) by Sasha Chyorny, which has not yet become the subject of special analysis. The aim of the study is to determine the genre nature of the work as a means of criticizing Soviet cultural policy of the 1920s. The historical and cultural context is examined: the practice of “rehashing” classical operas, the ideological purge of libraries under the leadership of N. K. Krupskaya, and the émigré reception of Pushkin’s works. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that for the first time the genre nature of the work is established – a satirical miniature-travesty; parodic techniques are identified: travestying and rehash. The results obtained showed that through the transformation of Pushkin’s images, Sasha Chyorny exposes the mechanism of subordinating art to state propaganda. The satirist creates lexical dissonance by colliding the language of classical poetry with the new Soviet language: komsomol, polpred, krasflotiliya. Parody serves as cultural criticism, demonstrating the incompatibility of genuine art with a utilitarian approach, and fits into a series of satirical works as part of the general reaction of the émigré community to Soviet art of that time.