The Problem of National Self-Awareness in Contemporary Russian Prose of the “Thirty-Year-Old” Generation

The article addresses the pressing issue of national self-awareness in the works of con-temporary young writers. Drawing on the prose of the latest literary generation of “thir-ty-year-olds” (the so-called “millennials”), as well as on findings from literary, socio-logical, and philosophical studies, the paper identifies the main preconditions and rea-sons behind the younger generation’s indifferent attitude toward national identity. It al-so explores how this indifference affects both the internal and external status of the in-dividual and outlines possible ways to overcome the problem. The authors point out that the erosion of national self-awareness began not during the Perestroika period, but earlier in the Soviet Union, where national identity was associated with state affiliation rather than ethnicity. This resulted in a situation of “negative identity” and a lack of in-terest in ethnic nationality among the post-Perestroika generation. The plots and themes of contemporary Russian literature prompt reflection on the rejection of the Western tradition of national and religious neutrality and the need to restore a sense of national self-awareness.