My Brother's Erasure and My Nephew's Disappearance, by Mikhail Shishkin
Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
Opinion
Sources not specified
Context piece
- Russian writer Mikhail Shishkin reflects on how war impacts lives and writing, drawing parallels between current conflicts and historical Russian divisions.
- He contrasts the brutal, documented nature of modern warfare with the personal tragedies of his family's past, where his grandfather's brothers fought on opposing sides.
- Shishkin notes his own brother's support for the
Russian writer Mikhail Shishkin reflects on the profound and brutal impact of war on individuals and their creative work. In a personal essay, he observes the chilling reality of modern warfare, where drone footage captures the final, terrifying moments of soldiers' lives.
On YouTube, one finds thousands of videos with images taken by drones that pursue soldiers and kill them. The camera captures the last seconds of their lives, the fear on their faces, the despair, the pain. I scrutinize these faces.
Shishkin draws a stark parallel between the current conflict and the historical divisions within his own family. A century ago, his grandfather's brothers became enemies, fighting on opposing sides of the Russian Civil War. This historical echo resonates deeply as he witnesses his own elder brother in Moscow supporting the "special military operation" against "Ukronazis."
A century has passed. Russian history, which has bitten its own tail, swallows it a little more with each generation.
He laments how Russian history seems to repeat itself, consuming each generation. The essay, published in Le Temps, highlights the personal toll of war, contrasting the detached, digital documentation of death with the intimate, familial fractures it causes. Shishkin's piece is a poignant exploration of how conflict reshapes lives, relationships, and the very fabric of society, questioning the cyclical nature of violence and division.
My elder brother lives in Moscow and supports this 'special military operation' against the 'Ukronazis.'
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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