I like to read Soviet literature of the 1960s and 1970s. I think it was a period of flourishing of literature and art, also for us Armenians. Under the asphalt paved by the censorship “roller” of the hard authoritarian regime, some miraculous flowers sprouted, which for some reason were not seen in more “free” periods. It is sometimes said that literary, painting, and musical masterpieces were born in defiance of ideological pressure, gray reality, and allegories, the “Aesopian language” developed the artistic imagination, promoted unique tricks, the need for which is not at all necessary in the conditions of “freedom.”
Much like the prohibition of depicting people and animals in some cultures encourages painters to be more “creative” in abstract mosaic art. Perhaps that logic is partially correct. But on the other hand, it is impossible not to record that, in particular, the general intellectual level of the society of Soviet Armenia was higher, and the book was even more respected. Yes, we joked, we told jokes about the Soviet leaders, but honestly, some of the thoughts of today’s post-Soviet leaders would rival those of Brezhnev and Chernenko at their level.
Many may not agree with me, but I believe that the development of literature and art has no direct connection with the nature of the political regime, the degree of freedom, and other similar things. The quality of a literary text is not determined by the presence or absence of censorship. In this regard, I suggest that readers read the novel “Monday Begins Saturday” by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky. As in other works of the authors, the problems that have been bothering humanity for centuries are presented under the light veil of fantasy, but the trained reader understands the meaning of the allegories.
One of the magicians in that novel is named Savaof Baalovich, both of which are actually names of God, the former found in the Bible and the latter in West-Semitic and Assyro-Babylonian mythology. The authors write about him, “Savaof could do anything. And nothing could. Because the boundary condition of the Equation of Perfection was that the miracle should not harm anyone. No rational being. Not on Earth, not in any part of the Universe. And no one, not even Savaof Baalovich, could imagine such a miracle.” I suggest you think about that paragraph. Or such a thought. “It is pointless to look for a solution to the problem if it already exists without it. It’s about how to deal with a problem that has no solution.” Perhaps one of those “unsolvable problems” is raising the level of our society.
Aram Abrahamyan
