Abstract
Autobiographical Childhood’s Motif in the Author’s Songs by Bulat Okudzhava, Vladimir Vysotskii, and Alexander Galich
This article is devoted to the analysis of different strategies used in order to personalize history through the recollection of private childhood experiences by the famous Soviet–era ‘bards’ Bulat Okudzhava, Vladimir Vysotskii and Alexander Galich. Different models of poetic autobiographical writings are discussed and compared, revealing a number of diverse approaches employed by the poets. The use of the memory of childhood is an attempt to create a highly private experience while, at the same time, historical references are used in order to create the backdrop for personal revelations. The treasured childhood memory thus brings to life a highly individual reflection on a troubled historical past.