Abstract
Autobiographical Recollections of the ‘Family Childhood’: The Adventures of Dzherik by Natalia Nusinova
This article offers a detailed cross-reading of Natalia Nusinova’s Adventures of Dzherik (2009), which is discussed as both an example of contemporary chil- dren’s literature and an autobiographical text. The novella is placed into the broader context of contemporary discussion over the nature of autobiograph- ical genre, directly addressing the issue of the place of autobiography within the boundaries of children’s literature. Special attention is given to the multi- modal function of this text as a combination of verbal and visual components. The story that combines fact and fiction and written for the dual audience of children and adults, relates to the complexity of soviet childhood experience as it is being presented through the eyes of a child and commented on by the adult author. (Translated from German by Marina Balina)