The Train of Memory

Introduction. The article discusses the motif of memory trains in contemporary Kalmyk poetry. The study proves relevant and needed enough since the theme of Kalmyk Deportation (1943–1956) and subsequent exile in works of Kalmyk poets — in particular, the motif of the Train of Memory to Siberia from the early 1990s and 2000s — remains understudied. The paper focuses on individual and historical memories in contemporary Kalmyk lyrics. Goals. The article aims to identify the declared motif in the genre paradigm. The analyzed poems include as follows: The Train of Memory Was Moving (Kalm. Санлын поезд йовла) by Lidzhi Indzhiev, The Train of Memory (Kalm. Санлын поезд) by Timofey Bembeev, The Third Train of Memory (Kalm. 3-гч Санлын поезд) by Ivan Ubushaev, and The Train of Memory (Kalm. Санлын поезд) by Erdni Eldyshev. Methods. The study employs the historical/literary, historical/functional, descriptive, and comparative research methods. Conclusions. The motif has been addressed in poems and songs by poets of different generations. The poetic texts authored by representatives of earlier generations are primarily characterized by autobiographical elements included. The routes of the four Trains are associated with Siberia, all of them being united by categories of the past and present, themes of collective or individual memory, and title poetics

Aesthetics · Art · Collective memory · Historical memory · Humanities · Literature · Lyrics · Poetics · Poetry · History · Philosophy · Sociopolitical Dynamics in Russia