AESOPIAN LANGUAGE IN THE SOVIET HISTORICAL PROSE OF THE 1970-s (BASED ON THE NOVEL BY V. VOYNOVICH “THE DEGREE OF TRUST”

Abstract

The article is devoted to Aesopian language (double-talk) and its role in the literary
works of the 1970-s in the USSR. The author analyzes historical revolutionary prose of
those years, in particular – the novel “The Degree of Trust” written by Vladimir Voynovich
for the famous series “Fiery Revolutionaries” (the Central Committee of the CPSU
Political Literature Publishing House began to release the series in 1968). Aesopian language
(double-talk) is a literary technique that allowed Soviet freethinking writers to reflect
on forbidden subjects in official literature (for example, the atmosphere in the Soviet
society after the end of the Thaw, the dissident movement, and the review of some historical
facts). The authors who didn’t agree with the Soviet system were trying to damage it by
changing the attitude towards Soviet ideology by means of literature.