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The problem of man and world order in the works of E. Vodolazkin (‘Laurus’) and V. Pelevin (‘iPhuck 10’)

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.37816/2073‑9567‑2026‑79‑158‑168
  • УДК / UDC: 821.161.1.0
  • Publication Type: Research Article
  • For Citation:

    Krotova, D.V. “The Problem of Man and World Order in the Works of E. Vodolazkin (‘Laurus’) and V. Pelevin (‘iPhuck 10’).” Vestnik slavianskikh kul’tur, vol. 79, 2026, pp. 158–168. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.37816/2073‑9567‑2026‑79‑158‑168 
  • Author 1: Daria V. Krotova
  • Information about the Author 1:

    Daria V. Krotova — DSc in Philology, Docent, Associate Professor, Department of the History of Modern Russian Literature and the Contemporary Literary Process, Philological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1, 119991 Moscow, Russia.

    ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000‑0002‑6804‑1605

    E‑mail: da‑This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
  • Abstract: Novels “Laurus” by E. Vodolazkin and “iPhuck 10” by V. Pelevin embody contrasting trends in modern literary process. The opposition of these works is traced according to a number of parameters. Among the most important is the opposition “the world of authenticity — the world of simulation”: while “Laurus” is based on the idea of sincerity of faith, authenticity of feeling, the artistic space of «iPhuck 10» is founded on total simulation. The “Laurus” reflects the idea of uniqueness of the personality, in Pelevin’s novel the personality can be generated artificially, by means of high tech‑ nologies. The approach of Vodolazkin and Pelevin in the analyzed novels towards the issue of posthumous existence of a person is radically different: whereas the author of “Laurus” reflects on this problem in terms of Christian teaching, in Pelevin’s universe the patterns of person’s consciousness after the physical death are transferred to the virtual plane. In Vodolazkin’s novel the idea of God plays key role, in Pelevin’s work artificial intelligence claims to take the place of God. But according to Pelevin, artificial intelligence will never surpass a person in determination to be. Vodolazkin and Pelevin paradoxically converge in understanding the deep foundations of a person`s existence.
  • Keywords: Russian literature, contemporary literature, Vodolazkin, Pelevin, “Laurus”, “iPhuck 10”, Christian worldview, the virtual world in literature, artificial intelligence.
  • Страницы / Pages: 158–168
  • Received: January 11, 2025
  • Approved after Reviewing: November 17, 2025
  • Publication Date: March 25, 2026

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