Behind the Iron Curtain

12/7/2021

The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
by Eugene Yelchin Narrated by the author

"What does drawing correctly teach us, children?" "Drawing correctly teaches us to live by the rules."

Yelchin pulls back the Iron Curtain, offering a glimpse of life for Jews living in 1970's Russia. Six-year-old Yevgeny lives with his parents, older brother Victor, and grandmother, eking out a meager life in a communal apartment. His poetry-loving father, mother whose ballet dreams were denied, and competitive figure skating sibling are described in charming detail.
Living conditions are so cramped that the only place for the boy to sleep is under the table. He secretly swipes his father’s only pencil to draw on the table’s underside.

Short chapters offer poignant snapshots into a bizarre world that glorifies the mummified body of Lenin, requires citizens to earn a stamped coupon to purchase a book, and causes family members to remove all images of grandfather from the family’s photo album.

From the opening pages, readers are aware of an ongoing Russian obsession with the United States: a land of bright colors, forbidden chewing gum, blue jeans, and rock & roll. The shameful treatment of Jews is a puzzle to Yvegeny. He is confused by his father's robot-like devotion to the Communist party.

Sardonic wit punctuates the narrative. Yevgeny wonders at the meaning of the word “defect.” It sounds to him like “defecate.” Does this mean that people leave the USSR to relieve themselves?

The memoir is more than a recount of life in Russia. The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain is an exploration of art that breaks rules, exposes truth, and yearns for freedom. It is also a story of the love within a family that expands beyond a cramped one room communal space.

Yelchin’s considerable talents as a storyteller, illustrator, and narrator make this slim volume an education and a delight. Yevgeny's “artistic talent” will fascinate readers.