Estonian, Russian and Samizdat Identity: Arno Tsart and Elena Shvarts
Estonian, Russian and Samizdat Identity: Arno Tsart and Elena Shvarts
Author(s): Miriam RossiSubject(s): Estonian Literature, Russian Literature, Translation Studies, Theory of Literature, Identity of Collectives, Sociology of Literature
Published by: Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus
Keywords: samizdat; unofficial poetry; Elena Shvarts; pseudo-translation; literary mystification; translation microhistory;
Summary/Abstract: The article explores a case of literary mystification by Elena Shvarts that occurred in samizdat during the eighties, featuring a fictitious Estonian poet. Aware of the relevance that translation played in the literary samizdat of Leningrad during the eighties, the investigation focuses on the similarities between the poetess’ hoax and the concept of pseudo-translation, analysing the reasons for and outcomes of her endeavour in terms of identity research. Engaging with Shvarts’ verses, Sergei Stratanovsky’s account of the episode and the position that Estonia played in the samizdat imagined world, the article explores the role of Shvarts/Tsart’s mystification in relation to the poetess and her readership.
Journal: Interlitteraria
- Issue Year: XXVIII/2023
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 120-136
- Page Count: 17
- Language: English