Back in the USSR: Isaac Asimov’s Uncanny Fortune in Cold War Soviet Russia

This thesis focuses on the astonishing adventure of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy in Cold War Soviet Russia. The study aims to build images of comparison between two separate cultures and visions of the Cold War world and introduce cultural subjects generated by such diversity. On the one hand, it investigates how the Soviet authorities’ strict government control and censorship led to the establishment of science fiction self-publishing. On the other hand, it seeks to answer the question why some of Asimov’s science fiction and, in particular, his Foundation trilogy was banned for decades in the USSR and appeared in print only after the disintegration of the Soviet empire. Moreover, it tries to shed light on Soviet translators, self-publishers, and science fiction enthusiasts who helped Asimov’s science fiction penetrate the Iron Curtain and spread across the vast country’s territory. The secondary purpose is to bring Asimov home reconstructing his image through Russian eyes and evaluate the legacy left by his visionary and concept-driven science fiction in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia. The first chapter mainly explores the under-researched topic of science fiction samizdat. It traces the roots of its establishment in the Cold War Soviet Union, discusses the technicalities of the samizdat process and delves into the risks and challenges of this activity. This chapter also analyzes the foreign science fiction landscape in the Soviet Union and Asimov’s place in the hearts and minds of Soviet science fiction fans. The second chapter shifts the focus to Isaac Asimov’s life and literary career. It starts with reflecting on how Asimov’s immigration experience resulted in the author’s cultural in-betweenness. Next, the chapter traces sudden twists and turns in Asimov’s academic and writing career before and after World War II. The paper also summarily discusses the story behind the Foundation trilogy and points out why Asimov’s started writing nonfiction. The third chapter provides a fresh perspective on how Isaac Asimov was received in the USSR. It reconstructs the challenges of establishing Asimov’s acceptance by Soviet readers and analyzes the author’s influence from three main perspectives: by investigating Asimov’s officially published editions, the author’s translations in the samizdat network and reading between the lines through Soviet journals and periodicals. The chapter gives possible reasons for banning the Foundation trilogy in the USSR and presents the multitude of Russian translations of Asimov’s seminal work. The final chapter sheds light on how Asimov is remembered in Russia today, explicitly investigating the footprint he left in his hometown, online, on-screen and in space. In particular, the chapter investigates the written and visual trace of Asimov’s legacy in local museums and city streets. Moreover, it focuses on Asimov’s presence in the Russian digital landscape and the role of technically-minded science fiction fans in commemorating his name. In conclusion, the chapter explores the visionary nature of Asimov’s predictions and attests to their value as a source of inspiration for future generations.