'Tolstoevsky' Must Be Reconceptualized, Not Canceled
Russian culture has an artistic value, but it needs to be viewed through a different lens
Today, I’m in one of those moods when you feel so overwhelmingly cultured that you decide to go for classical culture instead of Nikki Minaj (even though dem tricks r good).
And so I did just that.
I opened my Spotify and hit the top classical music playlist.
And boy-oh-boy, one of the first tunes was by Shostakovich, the major Soviet-Russian composer.
“I shouldn’t be listening to that. Not in times of war at least,” I caught myself thinking. But the tune was so good that I listened to it anyway.
Yes, I plead guilty. But hey, there’s no use denying that its artistic value is immense.
Ok, now, let’s get down business since I’m not the only "guilty” person out there: What should we do about Russian culture?
Since Feb.24, 2022, the debate has been zealous, and with good reason. The Russian culture, including its top representatives, like the well-known Bulgakov, were imperialists in their purest form.
Bulgakov, in particular, mocked Ukrainian and wanted “Malorossiya” to be restored.
Others were not much better. Lermontov, not so much known in the west but still very prominent, in one of his writings described group rape in a rather positive light while trying to conquer Caucasus nations.
The fact that Moscow has used its culture as a weapon — oh that “apolitical” Russian ballet — only serves to underscore why ‘Tolstoevsky’ -- a term I was introduced to by former Ukraine’s Ambassador to Germany Andrij Melnyk (what a fine man he is, check out my interview with him) -- must be paused for the time being.
But not canceled.
I don’t support the cancel culture. You can’t simply erase the things you dislike -- even if there’s a good reason to do so. Nor can you spend all your time convincing someone why they shouldn’t read Tolstoy or Dostoevsky because from a literary point of view they’re worthy.
It’s true, there’s very little point arguing with that.
What you can do, however, is change the paradigm when it comes to perceiving their pieces.
Nietzsche, you know, is also quite a controversial philosopher whom the Nazis weaponized in their own way. Yet, we continue reading him and studying his works. It’s just that most of us now know that this particular author was used for very sinister purposes and shall not be viewed through that lens ever again.
The same approach should be applied to Russian culture.
First, Putin and his cronies must be punished for the war through the Special Tribunal, like the Nazis, with the Russians feeling the collective responsibility for what happened not just during Russia’s war in Ukraine but the many wars started by Russia before that.
The Russians are imperialists. It has to stop.
Once that has taken place and the verdicts have been produced and presented to the public around the world, then we can start talking about Russian culture once again, rebooting it, and analyzing it through a completely different lens.
The lens of imperialism of course but also the kind of imperialism that has been acknowledged and condemned so that we can concentrate on the artistic value of the piece.
Until then, let’s make my Shostakovich appraisal today an exception, not a rule.