საბჭოთა მეხსიერება: ოთარ ჭილაძის „აველუმი“, როგორც ტრავმული ტექსტი

ანოტაცია

Literature is an important tool for reflecting and processing cultural trauma, solely because it transforms pain into art. Cathy Caruth writes that Freud used literature to explore trauma, highlighting the complex ties between knowledge and ignorance (Caruth 1996: 16). Art is oftentimes inspired by tragedies such as war, loss, destruction since they awake profound emotions in people, offering a creative outlet for pain beyond mere charming aesthetics. Writing preserves and helps reinterpreting collective trauma, offering space to fragmented and non- linear memories. Jeffrey Alexander argues that trauma is a social construct, shaped by perception (Alexander... 2004: 1). In literature, trauma reshapes identity and narratives. In post-Soviet countries, it gained significance, giving value to suppressed pain from authoritarian rule. The collapse of Soviet Union made a way for creativity, letting writers in Georgia, Ukraine, and beyond express decades old institutional violence and disillusionment through personal and deeply emotional stories. Georgian literature in 20th century reflects on trauma from Soviet and post-Soviet times. National discourse rose in both public and intellectual spheres, reevaluating identity after gaining state sovereignty. Otar Chiladze’s “Avelum” (1995) is an example of this phenomenon, portraying a traumatized society. The Soviet era (19211991) brought repression, ideological pressure, and events like the 1956 and 1989 tragedies, forming a crack in collective consciousness which are echoed in Avelum. The novel’s complex narrative happens in span of 33 years, using literary method of stream-of- consciousness to express trauma’s non-linear nature. Avelum isn’t a solitary but a collective figure who seeks freedom in spite of Soviet oppression, while also struggling with alienation. His romantic affairs – Melania’s betrayal , ties with Francoise (Europe) and Sonia (Russia) – symbolize Georgia’s struggles. His relationship with daughter Ekaekaterinekato paints a picture of a rather dysfunctional father-child connection, same with illegitimate daughter from Francoise. Chiladze in his novel blends myth, magical realism, and psychology. Avelum’s death in civil unrest highlights his torn identity. Matthew Janney cites Gramsci: “the old is dying, and the new cannot be born” (Janney 2021). Avelum warns of lost belongingness and ideological collapse, letting us see Soviet Georgia through a sensitive intellectual’s eyes, pulled apart between past and present.