“Day of the Oprichnik” was written by the modern Russian writer Vladimir Sorokin. He is an outstanding representative of Russian postmodernism, conceptualist, the brightest prose writer and playwright. It is difficult to remain indifferent to his novels. One of his unique works is "Day of the Oprichnik", where the author describes Russia in 2028. The novel was written in 2006, and many critics consider that it is the best Sorokin′s work.
The novel is devoted to Grigory Lukyanovich Skuratov-Belsky, nicknamed Malyuta. He was a famous oprichnik of Ivan the Terrible, and one who was not executed, as the others. In “Day of Oprichnik”, Batya portrays Malyuta.
As it is known from the history, the oprichnina is a system of emergency measures introduced by Ivan the Terrible, the period of state terrorism and cruel defeat of the boyar and princely opposition. The head of the country was absolute monarch and his faithful oprichniks helped him to hold the power in the country. They were ruthless henchmen who could do everything to protect the king and tried to establish the order in the country.
In the novel, Sorokin carries the phenomenon of XVI century on the realities of the XXI century. According to the novel, Russia strives to be independent from the West and has built walls around its boundaries and limits the flow of oil to other countries, while buying virtually all its products from China. The country lives thanks to the sales of gas and oil.
Although Sorokin confidently asserts that his novel is an artistic fiction, his imaginations like a reality. He points out that many things, described in the novel, have already returned, and many things are returning now. The author worries about the problem of totalitarianism, which is thought to be one of the most prominent features of anti-utopia and he expresses this idea through the book.
The features of totalitarian regime are demonstrated by the writer. There is a dictator who reigns and his indispensable guardsmen who execute all tsar′s instructions. People cannot interfere in state business and suggest their ideas. His Majesty has an idea to liquidate all the foreign supermarkets and replace them with Russian kiosks. And there can be only two types of products in each kiosk. Neither three no ten, only two products, and people cannot do anything (Sorokin, 117). Sorokin writes about the Komiaga′s child recollections when he saw people who burnt their foreign passports at Red Square. It is done to show the independence from west influences (Sorokin, 69). It would seem that Russian people agree to play roles suggested by the supreme authority. Moreover, the author thinks that contemporary power looks like in the past.
The protagonist of the novel is Andrei Kamiaga. The writer describes a typical workday of this oprichnik, which is full of different events. The day starts when he staggers out of bed with dreary feeling because of massively hangover, and ends at the time he falls unconscious back into it at 4 the next morning (Sorokin, 1). During the day, he participates in several rude executions, rapes the nobleman’s wife, goes to church, oversees a theatrical performance, ingests a massive amount of drugs and drinks alcohol, and plays violent games with a drill.
Obviously, Sorokin gives negative descriptions to the protagonist in the book. Komiaga can afford everything he wants: smokes, sleeps with whomsoever he pleases, smears, does drugs, rapes, pillages, tortures and murders in the name of the state, but at the same time he lectured his fellows, “We are guards. We have to keep our minds cold and our hearts pure” (Sorokin, 10). Moreover, Andrei Kamiaga is so proud of himself and so confident in his actions. “I’ll do,” thinks Komiaga, whose first order of business is the execution of a nobleman (Sorokin, 4).
Like a typical oprichnik he wears the finest and elite clothes: a white undergarment embroidered with crosses, a red shirt with collar buttons on the side, a brocade jacket with weasel trim, embroidered with gold and silver thread, velvet pants, leather red boots with wrought copper soles (Sorokin, 3). Komiaga rides in a crimson Mercedov with a floating roof and black leather interior. To the hood of his car a freshly severed head of a dog was attached, which is symbolic of "nipping at the heels of the Tsar's enemies" (Sorokin, 5). Oprichniks are sometimes called the "Tsar's Dogs" for their loyalty to him
The novel “Day of the Opricnik” also embraces the political aspects, even if the author wanted to create only a work of art. We can’t ignore the fact that Sorokin adverts to oprichnina which brings the reader to the historical past and the tsar who symbolizes the brutal and ruthless policy. The author presents the model of the Russian future (2028), which is so similar to the government of Ivan the Terrible. Many critics consider that “Day of the oprichnik” is a political anti-utopia, because negative tendencies of nation development dominate in the country. And, on the contrary, the other critics have some arguments against this statement, and think that this genre cannot be anti-utopia, because the citizens and the authorities of the country like such policy and the model of the government.
At first sight, a reader can find the story humorous. But actually, the world presented in the novel, is disgusting and horrible. And if only, in the course of the novel, a reader observes some features of satire, it will be extraordinary dark. For example, when the Tsar’s son-in-law confesses to the oprichniks, that he used to have a sex with fucking women in burning buildings and he enjoyed it very much (Sorokin, 89). What is more, grim humor demonstrated during the whole book makes the novel rather coarse. As the Sorokin points out that satire is an efficient tool for describing contemporary Russia ("SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL").
Orgy and porno scenes are also shown in the book. Moreover, the author gives detailed descriptions of porno with the participation of brutal oprichniks. It is should be admitted, that such erotic and masochistic scenes are typical elements of Sorokin′s manner of writing. Perhaps, it is used to astonish and impress readers, confuse them and create a unique perception of literary text. Besides, the writer isn’t afraid to describe sexuality and physiological processes of human life. Probably, these sexual actions are used in order to show a reader the real nature of the state people, and prove that they are very severe, ruthless and firm.
Drugs are another entertainment for the oprichniks and they are convinced that there is nothing illegal in taking hallucinogenic fish. But it isn’t available for simple people, because of high price, but for the elite drugs is weakness and pleasure (Sorokin, 122). Komiaga is convinced that these substances “cause the state no harm” and they help people in their labor and leisure (Sorokin, 123). And even the law was passed about permission to use invigorating and relaxing drugs. According to this fact, drugs are legally available at every pharmacy but only after 5 o′clock. For the oprichniks it is everyday experience to inject themselves with small intoxicating “goldfish”.
The writer chooses a specific language in his novel. He expresses his thoughts though slang and perversity. Vladimir Sorokin thinks that using backward words is ordinary and typically for writing. However, many critics admit that his slang of a low quality and it isn’t a better idea to express thoughts in such way. But perhaps these emotionally colored words make the novel more flavorful and original. Sorokin intersperses the novel with poems and songs, which makes the book more poetic and interesting. Moreover, the author uses non-standard vocabulary (“mobilov”, “mersedov”) to make the story more original and modern. But on the other hand, in his narration a reader can discover language features of XVII, XVIII and XIX centuries. The author mixes the historical realities of different ages: the periods of Ivan the Terrible and Peter I. For example, the slogan of the opricniks in the novel is “Work and Word”, but it was used in the reign of Peter I.
In general, Sorokin uses an easy and attractive style of writing, which is full of absurd, grotesque and gags. For example, the scene where Her Majesty sitting on the toilet and drinking campaign welcomes Komiaga (Sorokin, 95)
In “Day of Oprichnik” the author pays much attention to Chinese goods. Everything that people use is made in China: Russians make children on Chinese beds, ride in Chinese Mersedov, and do Russian business on Chinese toilets. They eat Shanghai caviar and drink Shanghai champagne (Sorokin, 97). In general, China produces all essential products and goods, which Russian people consume and this cooperation is enough fruitful, although there are some money conflicts between these states. Nevertheless, relation with China is very important for Russia in economic and cultural aspects and as Batya says, “We should be on friendly terms with China” (Sorokin, 112). Knowledge of the Chinese language is a basic and at least in some professions, for example, it is obligatory knowledge for oprichniks. Besides the old Chinese is willingly used by Her Majesty, and her children play in the latest Chinese games 4D. It seems that the writer wants to show in the novel how strongly mother Russia depends on Chinese production.
In many Sorokin′s works the scenes of violence prevalent. This novel isn’t an exception. On and on, through the whole narration, we face to the scenes of violence and terror. As the author says, the main reason of usage the violent scenes in his novels is that he was preoccupied with sinister energy during his childhood, when he lived in the totalitarian Soviet Union. Vladimir Sorokin emphasizes, “Today this problem hasn’t been solved. Oppression was everywhere. Sinister energy is alive in every bureaucrat. Whenever you encounter a minor official, he lets you know that he is above you and that you depend on him. It is reflected in the superpower mentality that nourishes the Kremlin. An empire always demands sacrifices from its people” ("SPIEGEL ONLINEINTERNATIONAL") .
The main role of violence in Sorokin′s novel is to show the readers that the level of terror and violence is growing from day to day and contemporary Russia resembles the Ivan′s the Terrible period and Soviet time. Perhaps, Sorokin wants to show with the help of violence the nature of real oprichnina, which is characterized by repressions and terror presided over by Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century. Moreover, there seems to be no limit on killing, raping, pillaging, and indulging bodily desires, at least for the elite oprichniks. Power continues to corrupt.
It feels like Vladimir Sorokin was trying to make his point through obfuscator slang and perversity, which is fine, that’s his choice as an author. He opens a wider view on the future world’s economic and political support system. Every reader can like it or not, nevertheless the manner of writing is enough original and outstanding. It seems that it is a fascinating work of speculative fiction.
Works Cited
Sorokin, Vladimir, and Jamey Gambrell. Day of the Oprichnik. 1st American Ed. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.
""Russia Is Slipping Back into an Authoritarian Empire"."SPIEGEL ONLINEINTERNATIONAL. 2 February 2007: n. Page. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. <http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/spiegel-interview-with-author-vladimir-sorokin-russia-is-slipping-back-into-an-authoritarian-empire-a-463860.html>.
