Gurevich P.S. Religious Plots of Chyngyz Aitmatov: Sacrifice or Spirituality? (On the 30th Anniversary of the Novel 'The Scaffold' Being Published)

Abstract: Thirty years ago the novel 'The Scaffold' written by Chyngyz Aitmatov provoked intense debates and ideological disagreements. Many readers and critics wondered whether spiritual searches must necessarily lead to religion. There have been people whose spiritual experience prove that there are certain transcendental forces that are beyond our understanding. These people believe in God who suffered for the sake of humans because he loves us. Sometimes a person gets the feeling of being very close to the Divine and being able to communicate with God directly. The believer says a prayer in the hope of God hearing his confession. Such person attains religious experience that helps him to live and overcome difficult situations. These people believe that the mystery of human life refers to special divine mission. However, many people do not have such religious experience. They believe that the world was created on its own, without the interference of the transpersonal absolute. These people seek for other spiritual supports unrelated to God, first of all, in human himself, emancipation of consciousness and grandiose creativity of the humankind. It is almost pointless to discuss religious topics with them, because their soul cannot generate anything besides scepsis. This creates a rather odd conversation, interlocutors can't find a common language with each other, one trying to prove that there is God and the other one trying to say that there is no God. The author of the present article bases his work on recent researches conducted in the sphere of philosophy of religion. His presumption is that the religion phenomenon has always interested philosophers, historians and sociologists. Religious searches and insights have been also reflected in literature. Analyzing Chyngyz Aitmatov's novel 'The Scaffold', the author of the article tries to describe tremendous changes in the social mind of Russians during the previous thirty years. Fashion for religiosity is overwhelming. We don't even notice that religious maxims have replaced the slogans of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. They are written on the banner above the highway. When we turn on TV, we may feel even surprised if we don't see Orthodox vigils. Politicians always mention their religious revelations when telling us their biography. Where are you, undefeated heretics? What is actually typical for the religious life of Russia? Can we actually speak of religious revival in our country? Are the churches actually uniting or on the contrary religious practice causes disunity? Finally, are there prospects for the development of the ecumenic movement in Russia? All these questions cannot be answered without involving secular humanistically oriented philosophers and thinkers. Can we actually revive the abandoned religious tradition in our country? As a result of totalitarian despotism, many people have been knocked out of their national, religious and cultural niche. 

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