[Newmag Summer Fest] Why is it Important to Write about the Soviet Period and the “Silent Generation”? Interview with Guzel Yakhina (video in Russian)

The novel, which eventually won several literary awards, was initially rejected by 13 publishers. After the publication, the book faced a big wave of criticism, which is not over yet. Guzel Yakhina is not surprised by this criticism. The horrible facts about the first years of the Soviet Union were not publicized for several decades. People have been silent about the hideous reality that they lived in. “People started talking about the Soviet past only decades later, However, their voices were again silenced and it seems that currently there is a new trend and writers are sharing the reality. It is the reality that several generations have lived through, but have preferred to keep the pain and suffering in their memories only.”  

Guzel Yakhina believes that it is vital to speak up about those topics, share the stories and discuss the main issues of those times. The school textbooks are not enough. A comprehensive overview is needed. Through literature it will be possible to find the connection between the generations and restore it. “The people who were born and raised during the Soviet period are called the silent generation. They have carried all the pain and sorrow within them in silence and did not share those stories with others.”

That generation lived and survived during the hardest period of the early Soviet era. The reason for that silence was often fear. Oftentimes, the publication of information could be dangerous for their lives. The writer points out that those people erased their past, name, homeland and started to live in the present. “Besides that, this was an attempt to spare us, the new generation. Now the writers are trying to restore the dark stories of that generation of silence and to tell what really happened. Only in that case will we be able to fully understand their feelings and emotions.”

At the center of Yakhina's three books are the people who were in the center of historical events. Currently, many Russian modern authors write about the early period of the Soviet Era. Many of them are awarded literary prizes. “The “Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes” book has been awarded numerous prizes. Those prizes are always a great support for the writer. Both in terms of financial assistance and the attention that the book and the author receive. I am very thankful for all the awards.” 

“Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes” has been translated and published into around 3 dozen languages. The author believes that the story will especially be relevant for the readers who are coming from post-Soviet countries. Guzel Yakhina hopes that the Armenian translation of “Zuleikha” will add up the interest toward Tatarstan and its culture. In the end of the interview the author says words of gratitude to the Newmag Publishing House. Guzel Yakhina is impressed by the cover of the Armenian translation of her book.