ABSTRACT
Literary politics in the non-Russian republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics are shaped by three distinct sets of factors. The first set encompasses those factors, such as party control and bureaucratic management, that are endemic to the Soviet system as a whole. The second—those, like the dual subordination of literary life, that are common to all republics. The third—those, like national culture, that are unique to each particular republic. Soviet writers have often invoked the formula "national in form, socialist in content" as an explanation rather than something to be explained. Non-Russian writers find themselves caught between a desire to express themselves as they would personally and professionally prefer and a desire to publish and find an audience. Many of the most famous non-Russian books in the West are virtually unknown in their native republics, as any conversation with non-literary specialists from those areas attests. The position of non-Russian political elites is stronger and more interesting.
