Russophone Poetry of Exile: Contemporary Antiwar Tamizdat

Abstract

This article examines the role of poetry in depicting and shaping contemporary cultural identity in the postSoviet region, focusing on the works of poetry published in Resistance and Opposition Arts Review (ROAR). This online journal, launched in April 2022, two months after the beginning of Russia's full-scale military invasion, serves as a conceptually new modality of publishing, translation, and dissemination of so-called tamizdat - dissent literature published abroad. ROAR represents a non-institutionalized network of artists, editors, and translators that provides an organic link between today’s post-Soviet intellectuals and the famous Soviet intelligentsia. Drawing on theories of post-Soviet cultural dynamics, the article seeks to situate poetry published in ROAR at the intersection of political commentary and literary aesthetics. By examining these aspects, the article aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the cultural dynamics surrounding the Russo-Ukrainian War and the role of poetry in expressing dissent and cultural resistance.