Commodifying identities : representations of the intelligentsia in post-Soviet crime fiction

My thesis deals with the changing identity of the Russian intelligentsia in the post-Soviet era, focusing on the contemporary Russian detective genre as an embodiment of the decline of established intelligentsia roles. With the rise of commercial culture in post-Soviet Russia, traditional boundaries encompassing the identity of the intelligentsia have been altered. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, former members of the intelligentsia realized that their unique voice was no longer as vital a contribution to Russian society as it had once been. Therefore, the intelligentsia now searches for relevance, and many have found a position within the new capitalist culture that has emerged. Many with a talent for writing have moved from political into commercial genres of literature in order to turn a profit in the market economy. Now, as the sacred image of Russian literature begins to fade, the detective novel serves as a commercially successful transition towa! rds the tastes of the reading public. I argue that the emergence of the market economy and capitalism in Russia has led to a transformation of the relationships formerly held between the intelligentsia, the state, and the People. In particular, I analyze A Confluence of Circumstances by Aleksandra Marinina and The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin as texts that address the identity of the intelligentsia in contemporary Russia --Author abstract