Boy Love and the Legacy of Soviet Pop Culture

• In Event: Teen Romance versus "Gay" Propaganda: "Summer in a Pioneer Tie"

Abstract

This paper argues that Sil’vanova and Malisova’s reliance on traditional tropes of Soviet children's and young adult literature in "Summer in a Pioneer Tie" contributes to both its popularity among young readers and its harsh treatment at the hands of Russian authorities. The author contends that the novel’s rehabilitation and repurposing of core tropes from works by Vladislav Krapivin, among others, actualize the latent narrative potentials of Soviet children’s and young adult literature.

Author

• Aleksey Berg, U of Pennsylvania