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Yeghishe Charents at the Target of Literary Censorship of His Time
Zhenya Kalantaryan

Yerevan, YSU Press 2025, p. 348

ISBN 978-5-8084-2712-9

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46991/YSUPH/9785808427129

During the post-Charentsian period, Charents’ work has been studied from various perspectives, with numerous studies written about his life, creative achievements, literary connections, influences, and other significant issues. Many unpublished works have been printed, and new discoveries have been made.

This book is mainly the story of Charents’ challenging times, his affirmation of his identity and talent amidst an atmosphere of literary struggle, and the undeniable fact of being at the center of literary life. The new social order established in Armenia from late 1920 placed ideological challenges before writers, testing their loyalty to the revolution and the infallibility of Marxism. The social origins of writers were considered crucial in the first place, with priority given to proletarians.

Under these conditions, some critics highly appreciated Charents’ talent, fostering his further development, while adversaries tried to diminish his role, attempting to make way for their own works. However, Charents forged ahead, correcting his mistakes, delving into deeper thoughts and artistry, and conquering new creative frontiers on a complex and arduous path.

The numerous literary critiques written about him in Armenia and the diaspora, first of all, testify to Charents’ greatness. Even negative articles indicate that Charents was always in the spotlight, and even his opponents could not deny the greatness of his talent.

A. Karinyan once aptly described this phenomenon: “Charents has many adversaries and enemies. He is criticized from both the “right” and the “left”. Armenian emigrants abroad condemn Charents for his “leftism,” while our proletarian poets — or rather the “factionalists”—criticize him for petty-bourgeois inclinations... Yet both sides pay the greatest attention to Charents and almost always, on every occasion, talk about him.” G. Mahari makes a similar observation with an unconditional affirmation: “He was great even in his mistakes”.

From the distance of time, this is how Charents appears to us today.

Academic Books | Language and Linguistics