RUSSIAN GAY LITERATURE The classic Russian literature is commonly referred to as the Great Russian literature. The unrivalled Alexander Pushkin, the mystic Nikolai Gogol, the fundamental Lev Tolstoi, the sophisticated Fedor Dostoevsky, the controversial Vladimir Mayakovsky - they all are known and acclaimed world-wide for their writings. What is much less known, if ever mentioned, is the 'gay' side of their lives and works. Writings of classic Russian writers were butchered to hush up homosexual overtones and their biographies were edited to obscure 'non-conventional' episodes in their lives. Needless to say that the twentieth century Russian and, later, Soviet gay writers and poets glorifying male love stood no chance to see their works published. Years of Soviet ban on any mention of homosexuality rendered gay-themed writing virtually invisible. The names of Kuzmin, Kharitonov, Trifonov, and others have passed into oblivion for many years, they did not ring a bell to an average Soviet gay unaware of the riches of domestic gay literature. Now the time has come to pay homage to our classic writers by revealing to you the full and untouched texts of their works and retell their life stories without outtakes. We will not forget the contemporary gay writers who composed their works uninhibited by the stuffy air of the Soviet-time closet. |
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