Victoria Sarangova
Victoria Sarangova

Goodbye (To Pushkin) 

Hand embroidery, 2021

 

Alexander Pushkin’s 1829 poem ‘To a Kalmyk Maiden’ occupies a prominent place in my home republic’s cultural memory and remains part of the school curriculum.

Yet, its exoticizing depiction of Kalmyk women has always unsettled me, provoking a visceral response.

In response, I am embroidering the poem’s opening line, ‘Goodbye, sweet Kalmyk girl,’ and adding a final ‘Goodbye’ at the end. This gesture marks a departure from the poem’s narrative and opens space for critical reflection.

Victoria Sarangova

Goodbye (To Pushkin) (2021)

 

Alexander Pushkin’s 1829 poem ‘To a Kalmyk Maiden’ occupies a prominent place in my home republic’s cultural memory and remains part of the school curriculum.

Yet, its exoticizing depiction of Kalmyk women has always unsettled me, provoking a visceral response.

In response, I am embroidering the poem’s opening line, ‘Goodbye, sweet Kalmyk girl,’ and adding a final ‘Goodbye’ at the end. This gesture marks a departure from the poem’s narrative and opens space for critical reflection.