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Galina Yuzefovich, a prominent Russian literary critic, said in a Telegram post that “books are now coming out where the events clearly take place during wartime … just as a fact of life.” Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the use of wartime as a setting in literature has become something of a norm. However, more recently, there has been a new literary phenomenon in Russia, of a much more worrying nature: ‘Z’ literature. With a name that comes from a Russian pro-war symbol, the letter ‘Z’, which is drawn on vehicles and displayed in the streets of Russia and occupied Ukraine, this new genre of literature appears to be directed at young Russians to encourage them to enlist.
What classifies 'Z' Literature?
These books are characterised by xenophobic nationalism, which often support the continuation of a war in Ukraine, whether directly or indirectly. The writing is not of a high professional or artistic standard, but rather draws the attention of its readers by employing provocative jargon which emphasises Russia’s position of superiority over the rest of the world. Generally speaking, the books involve a popadantsy (accidental travel) narrative, which is a plot device in which normal people wind up outside of their normal place or time. In Russia, the device has been used to the point that it has become cliche in science fiction, but it has made a staggering return in the last few years in this pro-war literature.
These ‘accidental travel’ narratives often see a Russian altering the world map and conquering other countries in the name of Russia, frequently giving the impression that the past must be “corrected” through Russian expansion and imperialism. 99% of “popadantsy” novels are written by men and it follows that the target audience of their war-mongering rhetoric is young Russian men, who will be conscripted to the army in the next few years. Despite this, the novels themselves appear not to be produced by the state, but rather by independent authors in support of war.
Portrayal of Ukraine
Although the narratives of “accidental travel” detail trips back in time which go back as far as 8 AD, some novels only see their protagonists travelling back in time to 2020. The last few years have seen a rise in the amount of literature which focuses on the question of Ukraine. As a result, the “popadantsy” genre has developed from a cliched form of science fiction, to the propaganda of an aggressor state. One novel, written by the pro-Russian Mikhail Mikheev, even goes so far as to describe the rampage of a Russian agent, who goes into Ukraine after the start of the invasion, travelling around, killing and spreading hatred.
In a disgusting attempt to re-write historical narratives in Russia’s favour, some novels portray Ukrainians are as Nazis, drug addicts and perverts. The novel “PMS Chersonesus” depicts a mission to steal Scythian gold from the Netherlands. This is one such attempt to undo reality, in which this gold was awarded to Ukraine by Dutch courts after being loaned before the annexation of Crimea. This ‘Z’ literature comes as part of a larger anti-Ukraine literary phenomenon. This is evident in the fact that nine Russian publishers have been found to systematically produce and spread anti-Ukrainian literature. What is so concerning about this new brand of literature is, on the one hand its violent, nationalistic rhetoric; on the other hand, the fact that these novels are appearing outside of the state apparatus itself presents an equally worrying issue: the Russian Federation has reached the point that it need not spread propaganda through literature, it is produced independently.
Russia's Self-Image
These novels attempt to play on the self-image of young men. The cult of personality which has developed around Putin in recent years, presenting him as a strongman leader, has come to affect the literature being produced. By pushing narratives which draw a parallel between the perception of Putin with a perception of Russia as a country, young men in Russia are encouraged to view themselves as superior to and stronger than the rest of the world. As a result, these books increasingly inform our understanding of how new Russian literature teaches young Russians to view themselves and their country. Rather than simply worshipping Putin as a leader, the image of him as an international strongman might be compared with the picture of Russian national identity in this ‘Z’ literature, which is trying to create young men willing to fight anyone in the name of their country.
This developing literary trend is inseparable from the current context of the country’s invasion of Ukraine. The novels depict Ukrainians in an extremely negative light and push forward narratives which encourage Russia’s domination of the global sphere of influence. This genre is also part of a bigger discussion of Russian national identity; this genre teaches us how young Russians are encouraged to view themselves and their nation as superior to the world around them, and as a result, it is certainly a cause for concern in the context of Russia’s developing invasion of Ukraine.
