The Concept of the “Border” in the Poetry and Prose of Serhiy Zhadan in Mid-1990s–2010s

Abstract

The border is one of the most clearly expressed spatial dominants in the works of Serhiy Zhadan. The concept of “border” is presented in his works by such linguistic units as “cordon”, “mezha”, etc., and may include the lexeme “island” as a limited space and “railway station” as a metaphorical gate, a place for exiting to another location. It is closely connected with the motives of travel, road, and eternal movement. In the prose and poetry of the 2010s, the concept of “border” becomes more fundamentally connected with geopolitical, historical, ethnopsychological realities located outside the literary work, which is typical for Zhadan’s work in general, combining topical issues of modern reality and neo-mythologism. During this period, in contrast to the early period, “border” loses the semantics of transition. The border line ceases to be a conventional feature that needs to be overcome. It becomes a place of permanent residence, both spatial and ontological. The railway station, which used to be a symbolic gateway to the other side of space, loses its main function. It becomes a place where people can stop, perhaps for the last time.

Received: 13.02.2025.
Revised: 25.02.2025.
Accepted: 18.03.2025.

Citation
Baydalova E. V. The Concept of the “Border” in the Poetry and Prose of Serhiy Zhadan in Mid-1990s–2010s // Slavic Almanac. 2025. No 1–2. P. 325–339 (in Russian). DOI: 10.31168/2073-5731.2025.1-2.15