By Paul Fredrick
OXFORD, OH- On February 9, author Kseniya Melnik spoke to students and faculty at Miami University about her experience growing up in the remote, Siberian town of Magadan, as well as her recently published book, Snow In May.
Throughout her talk, Melnik noted that the stories included in Snow in May were based on the experiences of her family members in the Soviet Union and Russia from the 1950’s to the 1990’s. Despite being a piece of fiction, Melnik asserted that her book offers readers an accurate and honest glimpse into what it was truly like to live in the Soviet Union. On top of this, she made the significant claim that the telling of history is not limited to textbooks; rather, its facts and themes can be related through other modes like fiction. This is particularly important in today’s post-Soviet world. Because of the censoring of the Soviet State, many aspects of the Soviet Union’s official history are still shrouded in mystery. And for Russians today, sometimes the most pure and essential records of their past are best discovered through art, song, and fictional accounts.
When describing Snow in May, Melnik focused her attention on two short stories within the book. The first, entitled “In Line for Bananas,” is set in the 1970’s. The story captures a dilemma faced by a young woman who is on a shopping trip in Moscow. Torn between using her limited time in the city to visit an attractive, Italian celebrity or to wait in a long line to purchase bananas, the woman ultimately chooses to stand in line for the fruit. While this might appear to be a trivial story in the mind of an American, Melnik noted that the account (based on the separate experiences of both her father and an acquaintance of her mother), is an accurate demonstration of what Soviet life was like in the 1970’s. At this time, shortages were common, long lines and the black market plagued society, and something as basic as a banana was seen as an exotic luxury. To expose the accounts of her family and the phenomenon of shortages, Melnik chose to utilize fiction. According to Melnik, “In Line for Bananas” allows readers to connect with the story’s main character and fully gain an understanding of the reality of Soviet life in the 1970’s. For this reason, Melnik argued that her fictionalized piece is extremely powerful—and therefore effective—in relaying Soviet history.
The second story Melnik discussed, “Our Upstairs Neighbor,” is based on the life of Vadim Kozin, a Russian singer who was arrested in 1944, served time in a Magadan labor camp, and eventually died as a Magadan civilian in 1994. Kozin’s music has been an inspiration to Melnik, and his life story serves as a testament to the harshness of the Soviet government. Because Kozin was such an interest of Melnik’s, she spent a very long time researching him. When she concluded her research, Melnik had compiled enough information to write a biography; however, Melnik instead decided to write a fictional story about a character inspired by Kozin. Melnik felt that despite her research, she could never write a history of Kozin that would encompass every aspect of his life story. For this reason, Melnik believed that writing an accurate biography of Kozin would be impossible, and an attempt to do so would simply result in a lie. This is where the power of fiction comes into play. Through fiction, Melnik was still able to convey the trials Kozin experienced and the harshness of the Soviet State. While refraining from attaching Kozin’s name to the work, Melnik believed that her fictional piece was the best possible way to expose the essence of Kozin’s life story to the world.
Most people do not readily agree that fiction has the ability to express reality. In her talk, Melnik hoped to correct this notion. By speaking about two of her short stories, Melnik was able to demonstrate that each piece within Snow in May is a testament to the power that fiction has in the telling of history.
Paul Fredrick is a Sophomore majoring in History and Political Science at Miami.