Belarusian? Russian? Homo Soveticus? The Problem of National Identity in Maxim Dosko’s Plays Cover Image

Białorusin? Rosjanin? Homo soveticus? Problem tożsamości narodowej w dramatach Maksima Dośki
Belarusian? Russian? Homo Soveticus? The Problem of National Identity in Maxim Dosko’s Plays

Author(s): Anastasia Gulina
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Belarussian Literature
Published by: Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL & Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II
Keywords: post-Soviet area; Belarus; new drama; national identity; Maxim Dosko

Summary/Abstract: Since the beginning of the 21st century theatre, and to a greater extent modern drama, has been performing journalistic functions due to the absence of independent media in Belarus. The article analyzes the work of the Belarus playwright Maxim Dosko (Radio Kultura, London) from the national identity manifestation point of you on his characters, in order to understand how this category functions and develops in the conditions of bilingualism, and how it is influenced by post-colonial mental phenomena. The heroes of Maxim Dosko’s plays are ordinary residents of the Belarusian province or the suburbs of Minsk, unconsciously looking for answers to the most important questions related to mentality and identity. At the same time, they are characterized by the absence of cultural traditions and even ignorance of their native language. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the author analyzes the self-identification of the heroes of the young Belarusian drama, asking whether they feel like representatives of an independent state or whether they still function in the homo soveticus model presented in Svetlana Alexievich’s book Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets.

  • Issue Year: 71/2023
  • Issue No: 7
  • Page Range: 75-87
  • Page Count: 13
  • Language: Polish