Lev Myshkin and Sonya Marmeladova in a Post-Apocalyptic World. Vyacheslav Butusov’s Fantasies on Dostoevsky

Abstract

The paper analyzes the artistic impact of Dostoevsky’s novel The Idiot on Vyacheslav Butusov, Vladimir Ponomaryov, and Konstantin Komardin, the creators of an animated music video. The soundtrack for the video is The Idiot, a musical composition by musician and poet Vyacheslav Butusov. The song explores a symbolic night for humanity, populated by weak and destitute individuals who have lost their footing and forgotten the meaning of life. The video (2020) is richer in characters, events, and content than the song (2019). The world depicted in the animation is terrifying, with extraordinary actions and an overwhelming visual sequence. It portrays a world under attack by forces of evil and overrun by cyborg killers, not just in an apocalyptic Saint Petersburg but across the entire planet. The video employs a wellknown narrative motif: a conflict between an author and one of their characters within a work of art. Often, if a character’s fate is secure and fortunate, readers lose interest. Understanding the narrative’s need for engagement, the writer complicates the plot, intensifies the drama, and subjects the character to extreme cruelty. Upon realizing the author’s radical intentions, the character decides to take control of their own destiny. This rebellion may even lead to an attempt on the author’s life. The animated clip illustrates such an incident, where Prince Myshkin, a fictional character, revolts against his creator, the writer Dostoevsky.

Keywords

• dostoevsky
• the idiot
• vyacheslav butusov
• song
• animated clip
• image of the world
• apocalypse
• prince myshkin
• revolt
• patriot without a fatherland
• cyberpunk
• fantastic tales