The Goblin versus Hollywood (On Dmitry Puchkov’s Oeuvre)

• In Event: Second-Hand Beliefs: Recycling Culture in Post-Soviet Russia

Abstract

My proposed paper deals with cultural recycling in the field of current Russian cinema, focussing on the figure of very popular ‘film-remaker’ Dmitry Puchkov, who is widely known under the pseudonym “The Goblin”. Puchkov replaces the original soundtracks of famous films with his own, basing his practice on numerous quotations from legendary Soviet cinema productions and presently popular songs, both Russian and non-Russian. My paper will explore the Goblin’s ‘cultural memory’ and the unique system of beliefs underpinning the former.

Author

• Valery Vyugin, Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) RAS (Russia)