Vladimir Sorokin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vladimir Sorokin
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Sorokin in 2022
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| Born | Vladimir Georgiyevich Sorokin 7 August 1955 Bykovo, Moscow Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Occupation |
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| Language | Russian |
| Citizenship | Russian |
| Alma mater | Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas |
| Period | Contemporary |
| Genres | |
| Literary movement | Russian postmodernism |
| Years active | since 1977 |
| Notable works | Ice (2002), The Blizzard (2010) |
Vladimir Georgiyevich Sorokin (Russian: Влади́мир Гео́ргиевич Соро́кин; born August 7, 1955) is a well-known Russian writer and playwright. He is famous for his unique style, which is often called postmodern. Many people consider him one of the most popular writers in modern Russian literature.
Early Life and Career
Vladimir Sorokin was born on August 7, 1955, in a place called Bykovo, Ramensky District, Moscow Oblast. He started his writing journey in 1972. His first work was published in a newspaper called Za kadry neftyanikov, which means For the workers in the petroleum industry.
He went to the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas in Moscow. In 1977, he graduated as an engineer. After finishing university, he worked as an illustrator for a magazine called Shift (Smena). He left this job after a year because he refused to join the Komsomol, a youth organization in the Soviet Union.
During the 1970s, Sorokin was very active in the art world. He took part in many art exhibitions. He also designed and illustrated almost 50 books. He grew as a writer among artists and writers in Moscow's underground art scene of the 1980s. In 1985, six of his stories appeared in a Paris magazine called A-Ya. That same year, a French publisher released his novel Ochered' (The Queue).
Sorokin is a devoted Christian. He was baptized when he was 25 years old.
Writing Style and Recognition
Many of Sorokin's early works, like his first novel The Norm (1983), were not allowed to be published during the Soviet era. This was before the period known as Perestroika, which brought more openness. His first work published in the Soviet Union appeared in November 1989. It was a collection of his stories in a Latvian magazine called Rodnik (Spring).
Soon after, his stories started appearing in other Russian literary magazines. In 1992, his book Sbornik Rasskazov (Collected Stories) was published in Russia. This book was even nominated for a Russian Booker Prize.
Sorokin's early stories often mix different styles. He combines ideas from Socialist realism with very unusual or surprising content. He once described his early writings as "little literary bombs." These "bombs" were made of two parts that didn't seem to fit together. One part was about socialist realism, and the other was based on real-life details. When these parts came together, it created an "explosion," which he felt gave him a sense of freedom as a writer.
In September 2001, Vladimir Sorokin received the People's Booker Prize. A couple of months later, he won the Andrei Bely Prize for his great contributions to Russian literature.
His 2006 novel, Day of the Oprichnik, describes a future Russia in 2027. In this fictional world, a Tsar rules from the Kremlin. The Russian language has many Chinese words, and a "Great Russian Wall" separates the country from its neighbors. This type of future world is called a dystopia. In 2015, he won the Premio Gregor von Rezzori for this novel. He also received the second prize of the Russian Big Book award in 2011 for The Blizzard (Метель). Three years later, he won another second prize for his book Telluria.
In 2016, some activists accused him of "extremism" and "going against Russian Orthodox values." This was because of his satirical short story "Nastya" (2000). The story caused controversy due to its shocking content.
Sorokin's books have been translated into many languages. These include English, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese, among others. His works are available through many well-known publishing houses around the world.
In December 2019, a Russian filmmaker named Ilya Belov released a documentary called "Sorokin Trip." This film explored the writer's life and his works. The film was nominated for Best Documentary at The Golden Unicorn Awards in 2019.
Views on Current Events
On February 24, 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine began again. Three days later, Sorokin published an article that was very critical of Vladimir Putin. In his writing, he compared Putin to Ivan the Terrible. He also described power in Russia as being like a medieval pyramid.
Sorokin wrote that "the idea of restoring the Russian Empire has entirely taken possession of Putin." He believes that the destruction of the TV channel NTV helped create this situation. He also stated that "Putin didn’t manage to outgrow the KGB officer inside of him." This officer, he says, was taught that the USSR was the greatest hope for humanity. And that the West was an enemy that could only cause corruption.
For Sorokin, Putin's main goal is not just Ukraine. He believes it is to break up NATO and destroy Western civilization. In March 2022, Sorokin was one of many important writers who signed an appeal. This appeal asked all Russian speakers to share the truth about the war against Ukraine within Russia.
See also
In Spanish: Vladímir Sorokin para niños
