Andrii Puchkov. Trikster’s Perseverent Deceprion: Metadramaturgy of Oleksandr Korniychuk

This book is an impartial biography of the most famous Ukrainian playwright of the Soviet period, Oleksandr Korniychuk (1905–1972). He was the most odious representative of Ukrainian culture and theatrical establishment of the twentieth century. Having won all possible awards, Korniychuk came across as someone, who, when it came to staging, impersonated drawbacks of the Soviet ideology with all its Byzantinesque self-perception and hidden anti-humanism of the socialistic experiment.

The author attempts to challenge the usual negative perception of Korniichuk. On the basis of the details of his biography, the writing shows how in the 1920–1930s, a humorous and honest peasant from Khrystynivka becomes a sarcastic and ingenuine city-dweller; in the 1930–1950s, the city-dweller turns into a statesman (who, in 1944 even tries to defend the right for the independence of Ukrainian SSR in the world). Thus, the sarcastic one becomes satirical and the ingenuine one becomes bitter. In the 1950s – early 1970s, the statesman turns into an apathist, satirist into a forgiving person, and a bitter one into a wise-man.

What is presented is the fact that if a sensible person, having analysed the possible risk of the Soviet reality, sought to remain true to themselves, was well-treated by the state and socially present, had a chance to realise their goals and go abroad whenever they wished, it was crucial to behave exactly the way Korniychuk did. The subject under study is a model of rational social conduct of a talented person in an undemocratic setting.

Andrii Puchkov
Trikster’s Perseverent Deceprion: Metadramaturgy of Oleksandr Korniychuk. – Kyiv: Dukh i Litera, 2021. – 608 p. (Figures of Culture).

ISBN 978-966-378-839-5

 

 

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