Literature of the Post-Soviet Diaspora

Moshkin's project examines the works of post-Soviet literature by writers who, after the fall of the USSR, left their countries of birth and established new homes in Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

To date, these authors have been studied either as literary representatives of their adopted nations or as part of a global Russian culture, in which the moniker “Russian” stands as a synecdoche for the whole post-Soviet world.

None of these scholarly works, however, widened the scope of the study of post-Soviet literature beyond the traditional focus on a single nation, language, or canon, nor they have adequately grappled with the transnational affiliations and identities of ex-Soviet authors.

By putting diaspora at the center of its analytical framework, this project offers a revisionist approach to the study of post-Soviet literature by 1) cutting across entrenched cultural, national, and linguistic divides that structure the study of post-Soviet literature and 2) amplifying underrepresented literary voices and identities that are frequently overlooked through a monolithic focus on Russia.

In so doing, the project produces a new understanding of post-Soviet literature as inherently multilingual, decentered, and global.

To curate my research for the wider public, I will build a website that will use pioneering DH tools and methods (such as digital storytelling, data visualization, and cultural mapping) to transform my findings into public-facing scholarship with a wider appeal.

This will result in a better transfer of knowledge between sectors and disciplines and help foster a culture of open science.