Monday Begins on Saturday

The Monday begins on Saturday (Russian Понедельник начинается в субботу ), is a 1965 published science fiction novel by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. It is often counted as Fantastik.

The novel is set in a fictional town in Northern Russia, where top-secret research to take place in magic. The novel is a satire on Soviet scientific institutions: there are the uneducated management, a publicitysüchtiger professor and non-functioning research equipment discussed. In the novel, there is an idealistic view of the work ethic that is reflected by the title: in true scientists there are no weekends.

The "Scientific Research Institute of magic and sorcery " ( NIITschaWo ) is located in a fictional Russian city Solowetz in northern Russia. The Institute is a place where all have to work hard and willing, because the loss of honesty is punished by hair growth on the ears. The haarohrigen people are indeed despised, but remain in a typical Soviet practice many of them still in the Institute - because there life is good after all.

" The Tale of the Troika ", which describes the worst features of the Soviet bureaucracy, is a succession novel in which recur many characters.

Content

The novel is from the perspective of a young programmer, Alexander Ivanovich Priwalow ( colloquially: Sascha ) written from Leningrad. On his journey through Karelia he takes on two hitchhikers. After they find out that he is a programmer, they persuaded him to stay in Solowetz and with them in the "Scientific Research Institute of magic and sorcery " ( NIITschaWo ) to work.

The book contains many references to well-known Russian folk tales and children's stories ( characters like Baba Yaga, the learned hangover from Pushkin's Ruslan and Lyudmila, Smej Gorynytsch ) and on Mythology ( jinns, Cain, etc.). These people and concepts are described either as objects of scientific research or as members of the Institute. Merlin is described for example as incompetent braggart, who heads the Department of prophecies and predictions of the Institute. The Department of Technical maintenance is performed by hosts Baalowitsch Odin, who is described as the most powerful magician in the universe; the Vivarium, however, is directed by Alfred, a vampire.

The novel is notable for its original characters. Cristóbal Josevitsch junta for example, was formerly a Grand Inquisitor and is now head of the department for the meaning of life. He is also a gifted taxidermist. Rumor has it he has a stuffed SS - Standartenführer, a former friend, who was also a gifted taxidermist in his collection. Cristóbal Josevich was rumored as well, only faster. Fyodor Simeonowitsch Kiwrin, the Head of the Department for Linear luck is a big stuttering man, a staunch optimist, a budding programmer, Erle Stanley Gardner and fan of a kind of mentor for Priwalow. Modest Matveyitch Kamnojedow ( his surname means " wolffish " ) is an archetype of an administrative bureaucrats, the work ethic " Monday begins on Saturday " is completely foreign. On New Years Eve he commands Priwalow, anywhere off the power and lock all doors; However, this finds out that all employees are still in the Institute to continue with the research. Viktor Korneev, an archetypal bully, allegedly leaves his double in his place to work in the laboratory, but Priwalow finds out that it is Kornejew itself - because doubles can neither sing nor express emotions.

A lot of plot revolves around the laboratory of Professor Amwrosij Ambroisowitsch Wybegallo ( in about: something that runs out ). The experiments of this professor's are spectacular and audience appeal, but have no scientific value. On New Year's he breeds on his quest for the "ideal man" a "model of a fully satisfied man" who can immediately satisfy all his needs. The model ( " carcass " according to the Institute jargon ) then tries to devour the entire universe, but it is stopped by Roman Ojra - Ojra who destroys him with a thrown Dschinnflasche. Wybegallo based in many respects Trofim Lysenko, a charlatan who had thrown back the science of the USSR for years.

The last part of the book reveals the secret of Janus Poluhektowitsch Newstrujew, the director of the institute, who is a man in two people: A Janus and Janus - U. The fact of his duality is accepted widely, but never questioned. The protagonists find out that U- Janus is a future version of A- Janus, who travels back in a special way by the time: every midnight, he travels back in place the next in the previous day. This construct is referred to as " discrete Contra Motion".

Genre affiliation

Although the events of the novel are more in the genre of fantasy and not sci-fi (since they are not explained ), the plant is traditionally added to the following reasons to Science Fiction: fantasy genre existed in the Soviet Union, rare exceptions were of publishers declared Sci- Fi; the brothers Strugatsky have written many books which are clearly science fiction works; the underlying philosophy is scientific. Occasionally, especially in the English language, this book is called "Russian Harry Potter " because the magic in this book is very similar to that of Harry Potter's world.

Soviet censorship

In contrast to the Tale of the Troika "Monday" was explicitly censored at one point only. In the original version, there is a two-line poem:

Вот по дороге едет ЗиМ И им я буду задавим.

( German, literal translation ): Here goes a SiM across the street And from him I 'll run over.

The car brand SiM ( Zavod imeni Molotowa ) stands for Molotov factory (later GAS ). After Khrushchev's de-Stalinization the names of Stalin and the politicians were (among Molotov ) largely banned from the official language under him. Therefore SiM was not allowed to be used. On the other hand, SiS ( Stalin plant) has been renamed to just SiL ( Likhachev plant), and so the poem in all Russian editions before 1990 is as follows:

Вот по дороге едет ЗиЛ И им я буду задавим. ( Here goes a SiL on the road And from him I 'll run over. )

Furthermore, the Russian text differs in the last correction of the authors ( which took place in the late 80s ) from the original published. Were missing originally, inter alia, several references to Cristóbal Juntas participation in the Spanish Civil War. Other passages that were taken into the text, are more critical and do not seem to censorship reasons.

Translations

• The first German translation was made ​​in 1974 by Hermann Buchner (German title: " Monday begins on Saturday ", ISBN 3-518-38952-1 ). This translation contains many errors and cuts.
• A made ​​in East Germany by Helga Gutsche translation in 1990 (along with The Tale of the troika, German title: "The Monday begins on Saturday ", ISBN 3-353-00624-9 ) published. The quality of the translation is considered significantly better than that of Buchner version. Both translations are out.
• A new unofficial German translation takes place in the project: instead Ponedelnik.

Allusions

• The Russian name for the Institute, NIITschaWo ( Russian " НИИЧаВо " ) sounds like the word " nitchevo " (Russian " ничего " = Nothing ). The German translation of Buchner translated it as NITSCHAWO ( Natural Science Institute of sorcery and Welfare). In the project: Ponedelnik the name of the institute was translated as NIEMALZ ( Natural Science Institute for the Study of magic and sorcery General ).
• The fictional place Solowetz plays on the Solovetsky Islands with all its historical and mythological associations.
• "A- and U- Janus Janus" plays on both the god Janus, as well as on the Trinity ( "one in two people " ) to. In Russian, the allusion is even more marked, for the word " Lizo " (Russian " лицо " ) means both " face " and "person."
• Wybegallo, with his pseudo- peasant occurrence and ideas alludes to Trofim Lysenko.
• All French-language sayings are quotes from Leo Tolstoy Wybegallos "War and Peace ".
• Wybegallos " Ideal Man" is a spoof of the "new Soviet man."