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Prominent Russian writer Victor Erofeev offers a provocative exploration of the “new barbarism” of the 21st century, in which power eclipses justice. In a talk that connects Russia, Ukraine, Europe, and the US, Erofeev argues that leaders like Putin and Trump reflect deep cultural shifts — and asks what comes next.

Born in Moscow in 1947, Erofeev had his first major critical confrontation in 1979 when he co-organized the literary anthology Metropol, which included texts that were banned by Soviet censors. This led to his expulsion from the Soviet Writers' Union and a decade of effective blacklisting, during which his work was circulated only through underground publication.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Erofeev became a prominent voice in the newly free Russian literary landscape, gaining global acclaim for works that often satirize Russian history and psychology. He became known worldwide for his novel Russian Beauty, published in 1989 and translated into 27 languages. 

His later novels, such as Encyclopedia of the Russian Soul (1999) and Good Stalin (2004), continue his exploration of Russian identity, trauma, and myth, often through a lens of profound existential cynicism. Erofeev's work has received numerous honors, including the Legion d'Honneur and the Ordre d’Art et Letters in France and the Kommandor Cross in Poland. 

Erofeev’s latest novel, The New Barbarism (2025), is grounded in a critique of contemporary Russian society as one of moral decay, rampant consumerism, and the collapse of intellectual and cultural values.

Cosponsored by the Department of Comparative Literature