Tamizdat: Contraband Russian Literature in the Cold War Era

Tamizdat provides a new perspective on the history of the Cold War by exploring the story of the contraband manuscripts sent from the USSR to the West. It contributed to the formation of the twentieth-century Russian literary canon, focusing on narratives of Stalinism and the Gulag. It was not devoid of its own hierarchy, ideological agenda, and censorship, but it was a powerful weapon on the cultural fronts of the Cold War.

Format: Hardback
Length: 330 pages
Publication date: 15 May 2023
Publisher: Cornell University Press

Tamizdat, a term coined to describe the unauthorized publishing of manuscripts in the Soviet Union, offers a fresh perspective on the history of the Cold War. These contraband manuscripts, smuggled from the USSR to the West, provide a glimpse into the suppressed voices and ideas of the era. Yasha Klots, in his book "Tamizdat: The Underground Literature of Soviet Russia," explores the significant role that tamizdat played in shaping the twentieth-century Russian literary canon.

The majority of contemporary Russian classics, which have since become revered as literary treasures, first emerged abroad, often years before they were published in Russia. Klots delves into the narratives of Stalinism and the Gulag, focusing on contraband manuscripts from the 1960s and 70s, a period marked by significant political and cultural changes in the Soviet Union.

Klots challenges the traditional notion of late Soviet culture as a binary opposition between the underground and official state publishing. He demonstrates that tamizdat, while serving as an alternative field of cultural production in opposition to the Soviet regime and Socialist Realism, was not devoid of its own hierarchy, ideological agenda, and even censorship.

Tamizdat played a crucial role in bridging the geographical, stylistic, and ideological gaps between Russian literature within the Soviet Union and the Russian literary diaspora outside the Iron Curtain. It facilitated the exchange of ideas and perspectives, allowing writers and artists to transcend the boundaries imposed by the Soviet government.

Despite the risks and challenges associated with tamizdat, it remained a vibrant and dynamic cultural movement. The Russian literary diaspora, comprising writers, translators, and publishers, played a vital role in disseminating and promoting tamizdat manuscripts. They risked their lives and freedom to bring these works to the West, where they were widely read and celebrated.

In conclusion, tamizdat offers a unique and valuable perspective on the history of the Cold War. Through the stories of the contraband manuscripts, it sheds light on the suppressed voices and ideas of the Soviet era, contributing to our understanding of the complex and multifaceted nature of the Cold War. Klots' book "Tamizdat: The Underground Literature of Soviet Russia" is a testament to the power of literature and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501768958