Post-Soviet new drama: macro- and microcosm of Konstantin Steshik

The authors focus on the phenomenon of drama written by Konstantin Steshik, a young Belarusian playwright who writes in Russian. Describing and analysing this phenomenon is the aim of the researchers. The lack of research into the playwright's work is the reason for the novelty of the study. The relevance is determined by the demand for Steshik's plays in contemporary Russian theatre. The playwright's creative competence is proved by his numerous victories in Russian and international drama contests. The authors consider Stesik's work in the unity of the playwright's macro- and microcosm: the inner world of the characters and the circumstances they find themselves in. One of the authors' important tasks is to determine the foundation for Steshik's work. A historical and theatrical overview from Soviet Belarusian drama to the works of the authors associated with the well-known Belarusian Free Theatre association reveals not exactly the foundation, but the soil on which the phenomenon involved mainly grows. The authors note the close connection of Steshik's work to the phenomenon of post-Soviet «new drama». With its appearance on the territory of the CIS countries, social problems come to the forefront in contemporary theatre, and there arises a theme of reflection on the past, both in a positive and a negative way. In the final part of the article, the authors analyse the peculiarities of Steshik's poetics. The analysis made it possible to register the striking artistic uniqueness of the playwright's creative style. Steshik's plays clearly expand the scope of the post-Soviet «new drama». His voice stands out against the sharp social discourse of contemporary playwrights. Vivid metaphors, close to the traditions of «magic realism» literature, are mixed with psychological naturalism in an original way