During the session held yesterday (September20) at the Book City Center on the Persian translation of 'Who is to Blame', Abtin Golkar reviewed the life and works of Aleksandr Herzen as a Russian socialist and writer.

IBNA: Aleksandr Ivanovich Herzen was a Russian pro-Western writer and thinker known as the "father of Russian socialism". His autobiography My Past and Thoughts, written with grace, energy, and ease, is often considered the best specimen of that genre in Russian literature. 

During the session held on the introduction of Aleksandr Herzen, Dr Abtin Golkar translator and professor of Russian language and literature provided a biography of this Russian writer and his translated works in Iran. 

Golkar began his speech with stressing on the role of Herzen in the formation of Russian Realism. He added: "The book Romantic Exiles briefly accounts the life of Herzen. There are also few articles of him available in Persian but 'Who is to Blame' is the first work of fiction by this writer to come available in Persian." 

Herzen was born in 1812, contemporaneous with Russia-France wars and Napoleon's invasion – the wars that according to Golkar had considerable cultural values. 

Golkar added: "After the retreat of French forces, the Russian army that was mainly composed of the nobility chased after them and by entering Europe they became aware of their underdevelopment and concluded – upon their return to Russia – that the main reason for this are the Tsars; this gradually led to the Decembrist Revolt." 

He continued: "After the death of his father Herzen achieved financial independence, left for Europe and published a periodical titled 'The Polar Star' under the influence of the Decembrists to publish materials that could not get legal publication in Russia due to censorship." 

"And since The Polar Star was a periodical, he founded another journal named Kolokol (The Bell) that turned out to be the first Russian censorship-free weekly newspaper in Russian and French languages with circulation up to 2500 copies." 

According to Golkar, 'Who is to Blame?' is a work of fiction with a linear timeline. The writer often distances from the story and every time a new character enters the scene, he spends a few pages on introducing them. 

Golkar believes that such marginal notes would not tire the reader as the main events are shaped through these minor happenings. Through the portrait of minor characters Herzen manages to show how people undergo decay in the passage of time. 

He continued: "According to many critics, Herzen was rather a social reformer than a storywriter. Including the social situation as the main element has been the main reason for writing down this novel – an element that has led to the formation of stereotypes in his works." 

According to the translator, the most important character type in Russian literature is the ' Superfluous Man' – a kindhearted, energetic person full of sublime ideas, eloquence and high education yet the one who fails in the world of practice. 

"The main character of 'Who is to Blame?' is an example of the Superfluous Man – an individual whose only share of life is failure and disappointment. Of course Herzen does not just blame the society for this and shows that these weak points are the characters' faults as well." 

Aleksandr Herzen's "Who is to Blame?" is converted into Persian and published by Hermes Publishing House. 

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