Decolonial narratives in Anastasia Levkova’s novel There is land beyond Perekop

Abstract

Anastasia Levkova’s novel There is a land beyond Perekop describes the formation of the national consciousness of the young generation of Crimeans, contemporaries of Ukrainian independence. Despite the post-colonial inertia, the dominance of Russian propaganda on the peninsula, as well as the main character’s origins, she and her friends are shaped in the anti-Russian spirit. This happens largely due to communication with the Crimean Tatars, and becoming familiar with their history and culture. The novel presents the methods the Russians used to colonize the indigenous population of Crimea during the Soviet Union, and aggressive Russian propaganda in the post-Soviet period, which entered the phase of annexation of the peninsula in 2014, and subsequently the Russian-Ukrainian war. Russian historical myths are refuted, Russian culture and Russian literature are demythologized.
The positions of the heroes are clearly visible against the background of the annexation of the Crimea; however, with the arrival of the occupation authorities on the peninsula and its recolonization, the further emancipation of previously enslaved nations becomes impossible.