Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.15291/csi.4806
The War Through the Lens of New Russian-Language Drama: A Transformation of the Text
Natalia Skorokhod
orcid.org/0000-0003-2700-4274
; The Free University in Exile (Latvia)
Abstract
The article is devoted to the current Russian-Ukraine war
reflected from several perspectives. The aim of this study is
to examine the changes that have taken place in the themes,
genres, and presentation of modern Russian-language drama
since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the
Russian Federation. The first issue discussed by the author
is the response of drama communities and festivals dedicated
to Russian-language plays in Russia, Ukraine, and
Belarus to the start of the war. The second question which
is investigated here is if emigration and repression have an
impact on contemporary drama. The article will prove that
the phenomena of emigration and the threat of repression significantly
shape the narrative landscape of contemporary
plays. The lack of freedom of expression leads to rich, diverse
dramatic forms that challenge identity, humanism, and
rationalism in the face of danger, and here we can note the
emergence of such genre as drama and comedy of the absurd
or exploration of forms of the Russian fairy tale in documentary,
which have rarely been seen in drama before. Authors
from the emigrant circle, who do not experience such tensions,
often use personal narratives and documentary forms to
convey the realities of homelessness. The third part analyses
the play by Esther Bol Crime/#AlwaysArmUkraine, where
the author innovatively applies the principles of German
epic theater. The analysis based on the materials of plays
awarded at annual festivals of Russian-language plays such
as Lubimovka, Remarka [Remarque], Pervaya Chitka [The
First Reading], Stories, and others. A comprehensive research
method is employed, incorporating both analytical tools
derived from classical, modernist, and postmodern drama
theories, as well as techniques of cultural and sociological
analysis.
Keywords
contemporary russophone dramaturgy; full scale russian invasion of Ukraine; Lubimovka festival of playwriting; displacement; comedy of the absurd; epic theater
Hrčak ID:
334059
URI
Publication date:
25.7.2025.
Visits: 597 *