Doctoral defence: Igor Kotjuh „Igor Severyanin within the Estonian Literary Field and the Formation of Estonian Russian-Language Literary Identity (1918–1941)“

On October 29 at 14:00 Igor Kotjuh will defend his thesis "Igor Severyanin within the Estonian Literary Field and the Formation of Estonian Russian-Language Literary Identity (1918–1941)".

Supervisors: Mart Velsker (University of Tartu), Aija Sakova (University of Tallinn)
Opponent: Mika Pylsy (Finnish Literature Society)

Venue: University Senate Hall (Ülikooli 18-204)

Summary: This study focuses on the work of Russian modernist Igor Severyanin (1887–1941) during his time in the Republic of Estonia between 1918 and 1940. The aim is to understand why his literary output remained marginal within the Estonian literary landscape despite his active participation in the country’s cultural life. The analysis draws on identity theory, the concept of translingualism, and the model of the literary field, illustrating how linguistic and national belonging influenced the author’s visibility and reception.

The research highlights Severyanin’s creative positioning between two cultural spheres – Russian and Estonian. His poetry incorporated elements of the Estonian language and local motifs, and he participated actively in Estonian literary networks. This approach points to a so-called hybrid identity – a form of self-definition that transcends a single cultural affiliation and weaves together multiple ones.

Severyanin’s case offers a lens through which to rethink the boundaries of national literature and raises the question of the role of non-Estonian-language writing in the history of Estonian literature. The study suggests that belonging to Estonian literature need not depend solely on linguistic expression but can also be based on cultural participation and reception. The work contributes to the development of intercultural literary studies and offers new perspectives on both historical and contemporary multilingual literature in Estonia.