იმპერია და მისი მითები: წარმოსახვითი რეალობის რეპრეზენტაცია ბელადის სახის მაგალითზე ქართულ სოცრეალისტურ ლიტერატურაში

Abstract

In Georgian Socialist Realism, the most important place in the process of ruling empires is the “proper” work of the ideological machine. Ruling administrative units made up of people of different nationalities, languages and cultures becomes much easier when the language of fiction and common myths is involved. These myths are not connected with reality and therefore are referred to as the “social construction” or “imaginary reality”. Georgia, like other post-Soviet countries, went through the last stage of the colonial era under a totalitarian communist system and, consequently, Soviet myths reproduced in fiction were a common occurrence in the Georgian literary reality of the colonial era. The study of the myths of the Soviet epoch provides an opportunity to observe the spirit of the colonial era, the artistic and aesthetic peculiarities of Soviet life from an interesting angle. In Georgian Socialist Realism, or the “Official Repository of State Myths” (Katerina Clark), the most important place was occupied by the myth of the great Soviet family, where the image of father/ leader / Stalin / Lenin was especially prominent. The assimilation and artistic embodiment of these myths took place in Georgian Soviet poetry with numerous poems dedicated to the archetype of the wise father, Stalin / Lenin. They are typical examples of the ideals and aesthetics of socialist realism and the values of proletarian literature. Poets seem to compete with each other over who will adorn the leader with more impressive, exciting, rich poetic jewellery. Literary works in Socialist Realism were presented to kindergarten-age children so that they could easily and organically join the cohort of communism builders in the future. Socialist realism literature for children somehow abused the tender psyche of children, instilled communist ideas in them, and thus distorted their spiritual world. It should be noted that the theme of the leader was considered an official topic and it was strictly controlled by censorship. Strict adherence to the official scheme was required by all writers. Soviet literature, under the law of Socialist realism, was obliged to take an active part in the artistic embodiment and dissemination of Soviet myths. This is how the Soviet narrative was formed. The main purpose of Soviet mythology was to replace reality with myths and make people live happily in a world of myths, but not in reality.