Genre synthesis in A. Platonov's novel “For future use”

The article examines the genre synthesis in Andrei Platonov's novel-chronicle “For future use” [“Vprok”]. The synthetic nature of the compositions is formed by a combination of characteristics of several genres: novels, chronicles, essays. This article analyzes the main features of these genres and their specificity in the Platonov’s novel. Genre synthesis in the story is closely connected with the plot of “test of truth”. Platonov is concerned about how to implement the “truth of socialism” in the collective farming, and he enters into polemics not only with Stalin but also with the leader of the Soviet literature, M. Gorky: he opposes the Gorky’s interpretation of “new truth”, which was to be declared in the Soviet essay. Abandoning the form of storytelling “on behalf of the author”, the writer appeals to the form of a “story within a story”, which allowed him to avoid author’s direct assessments and to implement the idea of polyphony, matching several points of view. In the article we analyze ways of expression of the author's position and subjective organization of the text. The paper also attempts to identify areas of utopia/anti-utopia, according to the perspective of the “new truth”.