‘Day of the Oprichnik’ by Vladimir Sorokin   (2006) – 191 pages   Translated from the Russian by Jamey Grambrell

The year is 2028. Modern Russia has now returned to leadership by an all-powerful Czar who is referred to only as “His Majesty”. The modern Russian leader is much like Russian leaders from the past like Genghis Khan and Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible.

“How glorious it is to destroy Russia’s enemies, don’t you know,” he mutters, taking out a pack of unfiltered Rodina. “Genghis Khan used to say that the greatest pleasure on earth was to conquer your enemies, plunder their possessions, ride their horses, and love their wives. What a wise man he was!”

His Majesty has his own imperial police force called the Oprichnina, which was also the name of the black-clad secret police force of Ivan the Terrible. In an early chapter these Oprichniki are sent to punish a Russian noble who His Majesty has determined to be his enemy. After the nobleman is arrested and hanged, his wife is raped by four of the Oprichniki and his children are taken away. After the hanging of the nobleman and the rapes of his wife, the Oprichniki go to the cathedral to pray.

This is just another workday for His Majesty’s imperial police force.

Russia has built the Great Wall of Russia to keep everyone, except for the Chinese, out. China provides Russia with most of its material goods. All the Oprichniki drive Mercedovs, Mercedes Benz rip-offs made in China.

The Oprichniki profess to be the ultra-patriotic defenders of traditional Russian culture, but much of their work consists in burning the classics of Russian literature.

During the evening, in their leader Batya’s bath, all the Oprichniki engage in a group copulation among themselves.

“Well there aren’t any unworthy among us – the Chinese have renewed our genitals, strengthened them, equipped them. We have the wherewithal to delight one another, as well as to punish Russia’s enemies.”

The outrageous ‘Day of the Oprichnik’ is a classic in its wicked humor.

In 2022 the author Vladimir Sorokin left Russia to live in exile in Berlin, probably a wise move. Sorokin has said that he had “underestimated the power of Putin’s madness”. His books are not currently banned in Russia, but they have been withdrawn by many booksellers.

Written in 2006, some readers would claim that ‘Day of the Oprichnik’ is quite prescient.

Grade:    A