Metamorfosi e ibridismo della fantasy slava in lingua russa

Post-Soviet Russian literature remains largely focused on addressing the historical trauma tied to the dissolution of the USSR. Within this context, Slavic fantasy has become an important tool for developing mythical narratives that significantly influence the construction of cultural identity. Its success is driven by a revitalized interest in national history and ancient pre-Christian Slavic folklore, drawing heavily on the frequent invocation of a legendary past, carefully reconstructed through the reinterpretation of byliny (oral epic poems), Slavic mythology, and various other folkloric elements. By setting their narratives in a mythologized past, an increasing number of authors are rewriting national history with varying degrees of complexity and literary awareness, striving to shape the collective imagination and address post-Soviet trauma. Aiming to map the evolution of Slavic fantasy, the current study will examine the genre’s hybrid typological nature and the distinctive narrative techniques employed by its most prominent writers. The first chapter focuses on establishing a theoretical and methodological framework for analyzing fantasy in the context of mass literature, to refine the scope of investigation and identify key intra-genre elements inherent to Slavic fantasy. The second chapter seeks to examine the origins and development of Slavic fantasy, including its manifestations across various media, while emphasizing the dynamics of reception, reinterpretation, and appropriation of external cultural models, such as J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, which is discussed in a dedicated subchapter. Finally, the third chapter provides a textual analysis of notable works of Slavic fantasy, focusing on a diverse array of authors from Russian, Belarusian, Latvian, and Ukrainian backgrounds who all employ the Russian language to create their narrative constructs. These authors exploit the genre’s potential in distinct yet complementary ways, reinforcing certain established discursive structures within the canon while revealing new and unexpected dimensions.