Why should you read “The Master and Margarita”? - Alex Gendler

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Ivana Krivokuća

The Devil has come to town.

Đavo je stigao u grad.

But don’t worry – all he wants to do is stage a magic show.

Međutim, bez brige - samo želi da izvede mađioničarsku predstavu.

This absurd premise forms the central plot

Ova apsurdna postavka određuje središnji zaplet remek-dela Mihaila Bulgakova,

of Mikhail Bulgakov’s masterpiece, "The Master and Margarita."

romana „Majstor i Margarita”.

Written in Moscow during the 1930s,

Napisan u Moskvi tokom 1930-ih,

this surreal blend of political satire, historical fiction,

ovaj nadrealistički spoj političke satire, istorijske fikcije i okultnog misticizma

and occult mysticism

has earned a legacy as one of the 20th century’s greatest novels–

je zaslužio status jednog od najvećih romana XX veka -

and one of its strangest.

kao i jednog od najneobičnijih.

The story begins when a meeting between two members

Priča počinje kada susret dva člana moskovske književne elite

of Moscow’s literary elite

is interrupted by a strange gentleman named Woland,

prekine neobični gospodin po imenu Voland,

who presents himself as a foreign scholar

koji se predstavlja kao strani učenjak

invited to give a presentation on black magic.

koji je pozvan da održi prezentaciju o crnoj magiji.

As the stranger engages the two companions in a philosophical debate

Dok stranac uvlači dva kompanjona u filozofsku debatu

and makes ominous predictions about their fates,

i pravi zlokobna predviđanja u vezi s njihovom sudbinom,

the reader is suddenly transported to 1st century Jerusalem.

čitalac se iznenada prebacuje u Jerusalim u I veku.

There a tormented Pontius Pilate

Tu, izmučeni Pontije Pilat

reluctantly sentences Jesus of Nazareth to death.

nevoljno osuđuje Isusa Nazarećanina na smrt.

With the narrative shifting between the two settings,

Dok pripovedanje poskakuje između dva prostora,

Woland and his entourage– Azazello, Koroviev, Hella,

Voland i njegova pratnja: Azazelo, Korovjev, Hela

and a giant cat named Behemoth–

i ogromna mačka po imenu Behemot -

are seen to have uncanny magical powers,

ispoljavaju naočigled jezive čarobne moći,

which they use to stage their performance

koje koriste kako bi odigrali svoj nastup,

while leaving a trail of havoc and confusion in their wake.

ostavljajući za sobom trag rasula i konfuzije.

Much of the novel’s dark humor comes not only from this demonic mischief,

Značajan deo crnog humora u romanu potiče ne samo od demonskih nestašluka,

but also the backdrop against which it occurs.

već i pozadine u kojoj se dešava.

Bulgakov’s story takes place in the same setting where it was written–

Bulgakovljeva priča se odvija na istom mestu i okolnostima u kojim je nastala -

the USSR at the height of the Stalinist period.

u SSSR-u na vrhuncu staljinističkog perioda.

There, artists and authors worked under strict censorship,

Tu su umetnici i pisci radili pod strogom cenzurom,

subject to imprisonment, exile, or execution

podvrgavani su utamničenju, egzilu ili pogubljenju,

if they were seen as undermining state ideology.

ukoliko bi ih videli kao pretnju državnoj ideologiji.

Even when approved, their work–

Čak i kad bi im delo bilo odobreno -

along with housing, travel, and everything else–

smeštaj, putovanje i sve ostalo

was governed by a convoluted bureaucracy.

je bilo pod upravom komplikovane birokratije.

In the novel,

U romanu, Voland manipuliše sistemom, kao i samim tkivom stvarnosti,

Woland manipulates this system along with the fabric of reality,

to hilarious results.

a to daje urnebesne rezultate.

As heads are separated from bodies and money rains from the sky,

Dok glave bivaju odvojene od tela, a novac pada s neba,

the citizens of Moscow react with petty-self interest,

građani Moskve reaguju ispoljavajući sitne lične interese,

illustrating how Soviet society bred greed and cynicism

pokazujući time kako je sovjetsko društvo gajilo pohlepu i cinizam uprkos idealima.

despite its ideals.

And the matter-of-fact narration

A realistično pripovedanje namerno stapa

deliberately blends the strangeness of the supernatural events

čudnovatost natprirodnih događaja

with the everyday absurdity of Soviet life.

sa svakidašnjim apsurdom sovjetskog života.

So how did Bulgakov manage to publish such a subversive novel

Pa, kako je Bulgakov uspeo da objavi tako subverzivan roman

under an oppressive regime?

pod despotskim režimom?

Well… he didn’t.

Pa... nije.

He worked on "The Master and Margarita" for over ten years.

Preko deset godina je radio na „Majstoru i Margariti”.

But while Stalin’s personal favor

Međutim, iako je Staljin lično garantovao

may have kept Bulgakov safe from severe persecution,

Bulgakovu bezbednost od ozbiljnog progona,

many of his plays and writings were kept from production,

mnoge njegove drame i dela su držani podalje od scene,

leaving him safe but effectively silenced.

tako da je ostao bezbedan, ali uspešno ućutkan.

Upon the author’s death in 1940,

Nakon piščeve smrti 1940. godine,

the manuscript remained unpublished.

rukopis je ostao neobjavljen.

A censored version was eventually printed in the 1960s,

Cenzurisana verzija je konačno štampana tokom 1960-ih,

while copies of the unabridged manuscript

dok su neskraćeni primerci rukopisa nastavili da kruže

continued to circulate among underground literary circles.

među podzemnim književnim krugovima.

The full text was only published in 1973,

Kompletan tekst je tek objavljen 1973. godine,

over 30 years after its completion.

više od 30 godina nakon što je završen.

Bulgakov’s experiences with censorship and artistic frustration

Bulgakovljevo iskustvo sa cenzurom i umetnčke frustracije

lend an autobiographical air to the second part of the novel,

udahnule su notu biografskog drugom delu romana

when we are finally introduced to its namesake.

kada se konačno upoznajemo sa naslovnim likom.

"The Master" is a nameless author who’s worked for years on a novel

Majstor je bezimeni pisac koji je godinama radio na romanu,

but burned the manuscript after it was rejected by publishers–

ali je spalio rukopis nakon što su izdavači odbili da ga objave -

just as Bulgakov had done with his own work.

baš kao što je Bulgakov uradio sa sopstvenim delom.

Yet the true protagonist is the Master’s mistress Margarita.

Ipak, istinski protagonista je Majstorova ljubavnica Margarita.

Her devotion to her lover’s abandoned dream

Njena predanost napuštenim snovima svog ljubavnika čudnovato podseća

bears a strange connection to the diabolical company’s escapades–

na dijabolične ludorije družine -

and carries the story to its surreal climax.

i vodi priču do nadrealističkog vrhunca.

Despite its dark humor and complex structure,

Uprkos crnom humoru i složenoj strukturi,

"The Master and Margarita" is, at its heart,

„Majstor i Margarita” je u svojoj srži

a meditation on art, love, and redemption,

meditacija o umetnosti, ljubavi i iskupljenju

that never loses itself in cynicism.

koji se nikad ne predaju cinizmu.

And the book’s long overdue publication and survival against the odds

A objavljivanje knjige sa velikim zakašnjenjem

i njen opstanak uprkos svemu

is a testament to what Woland tells the Master:

je svedočanstvo rečima koje Voland upućuje Majstoru:

“Manuscripts don’t burn.”

„Rukopisi ne gore”.