Vladimir Sorokin
Vladimir Georgiyevich Sorokin was born on the 7th of August 1955 in Bykovo, a small town within the Ramensky District of Moscow Oblast. He pursued a practical education at the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas in Moscow before graduating as an engineer in 1977. His early career included one year working as an illustrator for the magazine Shift after he left his engineering post due to refusing membership in the Komsomol youth organization. During the 1970s he participated in numerous art exhibitions and designed or illustrated nearly fifty books while developing his identity as a writer among Moscow underground artists. Six of his stories appeared in the Parisian magazine A-Ya in 1985 alongside his novel The Queue published by French publisher Syntaxe that same year.
Sorokin describes his early writings as little binary literary bombs made up of two incompatible parts: one socialist realist and the other based on actual physiology resulting in an explosion. This technique combines socialist-realist discourse with extreme physiological or absurd content to create shocking effects for readers. One example involves his first novel The Norm written between 1979 and 1983 which was banned during the Soviet pre-Perestroika period. Another work called Blue Lard from 1999 sparked protests and led to investigations regarding pornography charges against the author. He imitates various literary styles ranging from socialist realism to classical Russian prose within these explosive combinations. Critics noted this approach gave him a spark of freedom as a writer despite the restrictive environment of the time.
In 2002 there was a protest against his book Blue Lard and he faced investigation for pornography following its release. Pro-Kremlin activists accused him of extremism pro-cannibalism themes and going against Russian Orthodox values because of his satirical short story Nastya published in 2000. That story describes how a sixteen-year-old girl is cooked alive in an oven and eaten by her family and friends. His books have been withdrawn from a number of Russian booksellers after his criticism of the government. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 his works became subjects of public discussion including lawsuits and state investigations. A documentary film titled Sorokin Trip released in December 2019 examined his life and work while being nominated for Best Documentary at The Golden Unicorn Awards that same year.
His 2006 novel Day of the Oprichnik describes a dystopian Russia in 2027 featuring a Tsar in the Kremlin and a Great Russian Wall separating the country from neighbors. This setting includes a Russian language filled with numerous Chinese expressions reflecting authoritarian control over society. He received the Premio Gregor von Rezzori award for this novel in 2015 after winning second prize of the Russian Big Book award for The Blizzard three years earlier. Another work called Telluria won another second prize for him in 2018 following its publication in 2013. These novels reimagine Russian history and future through alternative timelines serving as allegories for authoritarianism. His writing often features science fiction elements combined with historical revisionism to critique political systems.
Three days after the 24th of February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Sorokin published a piece highly critical of Vladimir Putin comparing him to Ivan the Terrible. He stated that power in Russia resembles a medieval pyramid where restoring the Russian Empire has entirely taken possession of Putin. In March 2022 he was among signatories of an appeal by eminent writers urging all Russian speakers to spread truth about the war inside Russia. Following his criticism of the government his books have been withdrawn from domestic markets across the country. He now lives in exile in Berlin while continuing to write and speak against the current regime. His works are available through prominent publishing houses including Gallimard Fischer DuMont BV Berlin Haffman Mlinarec Plavic and Verlag der Autoren in multiple languages.
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Common questions
When and where was Vladimir Sorokin born?
Vladimir Georgiyevich Sorokin was born on the 7th of August 1955 in Bykovo, a small town within the Ramensky District of Moscow Oblast.
What education did Vladimir Sorokin receive before becoming a writer?
He graduated as an engineer from the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas in Moscow in 1977 after pursuing practical education there.
Why were Vladimir Sorokin's books withdrawn from Russian bookstores?
His books have been withdrawn from domestic markets across Russia following his criticism of the government and protests against works like Blue Lard.
Where does Vladimir Sorokin live now?
He currently lives in exile in Berlin while continuing to write and speak against the current regime.
Which novel by Vladimir Sorokin describes a dystopian Russia in 2027?
His 2006 novel Day of the Oprichnik describes a dystopian Russia in 2027 featuring a Tsar in the Kremlin and a Great Russian Wall separating the country from neighbors.