Helga M. Novak’s ‘poetics of knowledge’ in Legende Transsib

Abstract

M. Novak’s poetry volume entitled Legende Transsib (1985) tells us about a very unusual trip through Siberia. Because the author was denied entry to the Soviet Union, she became acquainted with the subjects of Siberia and Transsiberian Railroad thanks to reading. Basing on an archival query, we show how extensive and detailed was her study of this subject. However, the interpretation of Novak’s poems as a mere accounting of knowledge coming from different sources would be one-sided. The author presents a portrait of Siberia as a cultural space and creates, by developing her own ‘poetics of knowledge’, a literary epic addressing key civilization issues of the 20th century.