Memory as the «Substance of Existence» in the Works of A. P. Platonov

This article examines the relation between memory and identity, as well as the issue of memory and time as represented in the various characters of A. P. Platonov in the 1930s. We use this groundwork to analyze the role and value of memory as the substance of being, i. e. memory as the «substance of existence» in Platonov’s creative laboratory. Rather than being limited to clarifying the personality of the main character and outlining the problem of time and space, the task of clarifying the essence of memory in Platonov’s works also offers a new outlook on his novella Dzhan, which has so far been defined as a story about «the East» or as an outcome of the author’s compromise with the Socialist ideology. Besides, such attempts suggest that this novella ultimately embodies a «folk Utopia», the result of Platonov’s many years of reflection and ideological experiments with the genre of Utopia.