‘Damned’ questions of the Soviet era in V. Bykau’s literary heritage

Abstract

The article is devoted to the peculiar evolution of the ‘patajomnaje’ category in V. Bykau’s prose. It is pointed out that, since the time when M. Haretski formulated the basic questions aimed at a hypothetical disclosure of its contents, this category has acquired new meanings. The essence of the questions ‘što jano?’ and ‘za što?’ updated by V. Bykau is characterised. The fundamental inability of Soviet writers to give an immediate and comprehensive answer to the ‘damned’ questions of their age is emphasized. It is highlighted that the personal ethics of V. Bykau’s characters’ describe their attitude towards the ‘patajomnaje’.