Russian literature

Russian literature is the rich tradition of writing from Russia and its people, including those who write in the Russian language. It began in the Early Middle Ages when Old Church Slavonic was used for religious texts, while everyday stories were told in the native Russian language. Over time, Russian literature grew and became very important, especially during a period called the "Golden Age" in the early 1800s. Many famous writers appeared then, like Alexander Pushkin, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Leo Tolstoy, who are still read and loved around the world today.

After the Russian Revolution in 1917, literature in Russia changed. Some writers lived inside the Soviet Union, while others had to leave their homes and write from other countries. Despite this, many amazing books were still written. In more recent times, new voices have emerged, bringing fresh ideas and stories to readers.

Russia has produced five winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature, showing how much the world values its writers. Today, Russia remains one of the biggest producers of books and is known for loving its literature very much.

Old oral literature

See also: Russian folklore

Oral literature, like pagan myths and prayers, poems for ceremonies, zagovory (special words for magic), charms, byliny (stories about heroes), legends, fairy tales, and folksongs, existed in the languages of the East Slavic tribes. These stories were older than books and grew up with them.

There were professional storytellers, like bards of druzhiny such as Boyan, who played the gusli, and wandering skomorokhi. For a long time, these folk stories were not written down because they were seen as pagan, and many were lost. In the Middle Ages, everyone enjoyed folklore, from peasants to warriors and the knyaz-boyar aristocracy. When writing became common, oral stories and written stories existed together, each with its own style, and sometimes mixed. Early examples include the Legend of the Founding of Kiev and the Legend of the brothers Radim and Vyatko, which were added to Russian chronicles. A later example is The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom, which uses local stories and fantastic tales.

Заслышал Скимен-зверь невзгодушку:
Уж как на небе родился светел месяц,
На земле-то народился могуч богатырь.

— From the bylina called The Birth of a Knight-errant (Russian: Рождение богатыря).

Medieval and early modern era

Scholars use different names to describe Russian literature from the 11th to 17th centuries, linking it to the time before the reforms of Peter the Great. During this time, many literary works were written in a special form of the Russian language called Church Slavonic, mixed with everyday Russian words.

Besides religious books, there were also epic poems called byliny, folk songs, and practical documents like laws and letters. One of the oldest surviving books is the Novgorod Codex, a wooden tablet with wax pages, found in Veliky Novgorod. Another early book is the Ostromir Gospels, written in 1056–1057.

Many important books from this time were chronicles, records of history written by unknown authors. The oldest is the Primary Chronicle, and one famous story is The Tale of Igor's Campaign. Other popular types of writing included stories about saints' lives and journeys to holy places. In the 16th century, important books helped explain the rules for family life and the power of the tsar. By the 17th century, new styles of writing began to appear, influenced by other cultures.

Age of Enlightenment, 18th century

After Peter the Great became ruler, he changed Russian culture a lot. His rule brought new ideas, helping writers think in new ways about the Russian language and stories. This time set the stage for even better books later.

Writers like Antiokh Dmitrievich Kantemir liked Peter’s changes and the ideas of the Enlightenment in Europe. Kantemir used funny writing to point out problems in Russia. Vasily Kirillovich Trediakovsky translated big books into everyday Russian, making stories easier for everyone to read. Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov also wanted to use simple words, just like Peter encouraged. Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov wrote about big ideas, mixing easy words with fancier styles.

When Catherine the Great was in charge, writers started writing about bolder subjects. Alexander Nikolayevich Radishchev wrote about the tough lives of serfs. Others, like Nikolay Karamzin, wrote about feelings and new thoughts in stories. Gavrila Romanovich Derzhavin wrote nice poems about Catherine II, while Denis Fonvizin used funny plays to talk about the Russian nobility.

Golden Age

See also: Romanticism § Russia, and List of romantics § Russian Romanticism

The 1800s are called the "Golden Era" of Russian literature. This was a time full of great poetry. Two important writers were Vasily Zhukovsky and Alexander Pushkin. Pushkin helped shape the Russian language and made literature more beautiful. His most famous work is a story told in poems called Eugene Onegin. Other famous poets included Konstantin Batyushkov, Pyotr Vyazemsky, Yevgeny Baratynsky, Fyodor Tyutchev, and Dmitry Venevitinov. There were also novelists like Antony Pogorelsky, Alexander Bestuzhev, and Vladimir Odoyevsky.

After Pushkin, many new writers followed his style. Mikhail Lermontov wrote poems and stories, including A Hero of Our Time. Other important writers were Aleksey K. Tolstoy and Afanasy Fet.

Along with poetry, stories about everyday life also became popular. The first big Russian story was Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol. Later, Ivan Goncharov, Ivan Turgenev, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Leo Tolstoy became famous around the world. Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin wrote funny stories, and Nikolai Leskov was known for his short stories. At the end of the century, Anton Chekhov became a great writer of short stories and plays.

Other important writers from this time include Sergey Aksakov, Nikolay Nekrasov, Ivan Krylov, Aleksey Pisemsky, Vissarion Belinsky, Alexander Herzen, Aleksandr Griboyedov, Aleksandr Ostrovsky, Alexander Sukhovo-Kobylin, and Kozma Prutkov.

Silver Age

Main article: Silver Age of Russian poetry

The 1890s and the early 1900s are called the Silver Age of Russian poetry. Well-known poets from this time include Alexander Blok, Sergei Yesenin, Valery Bryusov, Konstantin Balmont, Mikhail Kuzmin, Igor Severyanin, Sasha Chorny, Nikolay Gumilyov, Maximilian Voloshin, Innokenty Annensky, and Zinaida Gippius. The most famous poets are Anna Akhmatova, Marina Tsvetaeva, Osip Mandelstam, and Boris Pasternak.

Russian symbolism started in the 1890s. It focused on deep meaning and new ways of seeing. Important people included Vladimir Solovyov, Valery Bryusov, Fyodor Sologub, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Konstantin Balmont, Alexander Blok, and Andrei Bely.

Some poets grew up on farms and wrote about country life. Others tried new and bold styles, like Cubo-Futurism with strange sounds, Ego-Futurism focusing on the self, and Acmeism with clear and strong images.

The Silver Age was not just about poetry. It also had great novelists and story writers, such as Aleksandr Kuprin, Ivan Bunin, Vikenty Veresaev, Leonid Andreyev, and others.

During this time, Russian Formalism began. It studied how stories are built and told. It had a big effect on how people think about literature around the world. Russian thinkers also made important contributions during the Silver Age.

Soviet era

Early post-Revolutionary era

After the October Revolution in 1917, many new literary groups formed. The Imaginists made poetry with strong images. The Oberiu group, led by Daniil Kharms, explored absurd ideas. Famous writers from this time include Sergei Yesenin, Anatoly Marienhof, Rurik Ivnev, Boris Pilnyak, Yuri Olesha, Andrei Platonov, Artyom Vesyoly, Isaak Babel, and Mikhail Zoshchenko. The OPOJAZ group studied how literature works.

Vladimir Mayakovsky brought new ideas to poetry, writing about politics and the revolution. Nikolai Tikhonov became popular for poems that praised workers and the revolution.

Émigré writers

After the revolution, many writers left Russia and kept writing from other places. These writers, called émigré writers, included poets like Georgy Ivanov, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Vladislav Khodasevich, and Boris Poplavsky. Novelists such as M. Ageyev, Mark Aldanov, Gaito Gazdanov, and Vladimir Nabokov also wrote in exile. Ivan Bunin, a Nobel Prize winner, wrote important works during his time away from Russia.

Stalinist era

In the 1930s, Socialist realism became the main style of writing in the Soviet Union. Writers who did not use this style faced problems. Some writers were not allowed to publish, and others faced serious trouble. Writers like Mikhail Sholokhov, known for "Quiet Flows the Don," and Nikolai Ostrovsky, with his book "How the Steel Was Tempered," were celebrated for their works.

Late Soviet era

After World War II, Boris Pasternak wrote "Doctor Zhivago," which caused some problems. Many writers kept to the rules of Socialist realism, but some tried new styles. The Khrushchev Thaw in the 1950s allowed more freedom in literature. Books like Vladimir Dudintsev's "Not by Bread Alone" and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" became well-known.

The 1960s and 1970s saw new movements like the Sixtiers and Village Prose, focusing on personal stories and life in the countryside. Writers like Valentin Ovechkin, Alexander Yashin, and Vasily Shukshin became famous. The Perestroika period in the 1980s brought more change, with new books being published.

Popular Soviet genres

Children’s literature was important, with poets like Korney Chukovsky, Samuil Marshak, and Agnia Barto writing popular books. Early Soviet children’s books often retold fairy tales. Authors like Alexey N. Tolstoy and Alexander Volkov wrote fantasy stories. Arkady Gaydar wrote stories about young pioneers. Later writers like Eduard Uspensky and Yuri Entin created books without political messages.

Soviet science fiction grew, with authors like Alexander Belyaev and Grigory Adamov writing adventures about science and space. The Strugatsky brothers and Kir Bulychev explored social issues in their stories. Historical fiction often focused on the Revolution and World War II. Mystery and spy stories were also popular, written by authors like the Vayner Brothers and Yulian Semyonov. Village Prose, about rural life, was another important genre.

Bronze Age

Post-Soviet 1990s

The end of the 20th century was a hard time for Russian literature. With fewer rules, many writers found it tough because of problems in the country. Fewer books were printed, and some important magazines stopped.

Big names from this time include Victor Pelevin, known for his creative stories, and Vladimir Sorokin, who wrote in very unusual ways. Other important writers were Lyudmila Petrushevskaya, Anatoly Korolyov, Yevgeni Popov, Tatyana Tolstaya, and Vladimir Sharov.

Many writers kept the old style but added new ideas. Others, like Leonid Leonov and Viktor Astafyev, continued telling deep stories. New voices appeared, too, such as female writers like Viktoriya Tokareva and Lyudmila Ulitskaya.

Detective and thriller stories became very popular, with authors like Alexandra Marinina and Boris Akunin writing books that many people loved. Science fiction and fantasy also grew, with writers like Sergey Lukyanenko and Maria Semenova leading the way.

21st century

In the early 2000s, Victor Pelevin and Vladimir Sorokin kept writing important books. New writers like Alexei Ivanov and Mikhail Elizarov also started making their mark.

After 2022, many writers who spoke out against certain ideas left Russia, and their books were no longer sold in many places.

Newer writers brought fresh styles, and poetry saw new voices and ideas. Two big prizes for books, the Big Book and the National Bestseller, became very important.

List of movements

This is a list of international and regional literary movements that are part of Russian literature. The movements are listed in the order they first appeared.

Russian Nobel laureates in literature

Further information: List of Nobel laureates in Literature

Some Russian writers have won the Nobel Prize for literature. These writers include:

1. Ivan Bunin (1933)
2. Boris Pasternak (1958)
3. Mikhail Sholokhov (1965)
4. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1970)
5. Joseph Brodsky (1987)
6. Svetlana Alexievich (2015)