Henri Barbusse’s Legacy in the Georgian Soviet Cultural Space

Abstract

This paper explores the influence and reflection of the French writer Henri Barbusse’s literary and sociopolitical activities within the Georgian cultural space. It presents a comparative analysis of his works and how they were perceived in Soviet Georgia.

Henri Barbusse emerged in the literary field in the 1890s as a symbolist poet, later becoming the author of neo-naturalist novels and psychological short stories, as well as a publicist and political figure. World War I radically transformed his worldview. He volunteered for the front in 1914 as a true pacifist. The social-economic crises and the subsequent rise of fascism convinced him that there was no visible solution – thus he turned his hopes toward the events unfolding in the first socialist state, Soviet Russia.

The paper analyzes Barbusse’s impressions of his travels in Georgia and the Georgian translations of his works. It also evaluates how the Georgian press reacted to his writing and visits. In the late 1920s, the Soviet authorities made particular efforts to attract Western intellectuals and cultural figures in order to portray socialism as a global success. Barbusse was one of the first intellectuals to depict the Soviet Union as the symbol of a “new world.” His literary and publicist activities contributed to the reinforcement of Soviet socialism. His deep ties to communist ideo- logy are clearly reflected in his works; however, at the same time, he also vividly portrays the brutal reality of imperialist militarism. At that time, speaking out against war was considered a betrayal of national interests and provoked nationalist outrage – such as in the case of Jean Jaurès’ assassination. Barbusse was one of the first in European literature to depict the cruelty of war in his novel Le Feu (Under Fire) and psychological stories, revealing the harsh and absurd conditions on the frontlines.

Barbusse’s travelogue “This is What They Did to Georgia,” written after his October 1927 visit to Georgia, unfortunately does not objectively reflect the ideological pressure and dire socio-economic conditions in the country at the time. Party workers accompanied him everywhere, providing fabricated and glorified reports of success. The text contains inaccuracies about the First Democratic Republic of Georgia, which can be considered slanderous. The Georgian intelligentsia was divided in response to his visit: supporters of the Soviet regime (Platon Kikodze, Silibistro Todria, Tedo Sakhokia, Aristo Chumbadze) endorsed Barbusse’s evaluations and believed in the restoration of justice and equality under the Soviet system. Opponents, including émigrés (e.g., David Sharashidze), harshly criticized him, while others avoided expressing opinions. These differing attitudes influenced how his works were translated and interpreted, and how his political and literary contributions were addressed in essays and critiques.

Barbusse’s novel Le Feu (Under Fire) was first translated into Georgian in 1923 by Tedo Sakhokia (with a second edition in 1930). His short stories were translated by Aristo Chumbadze in 1930, successfully capturing the tone and style of the original. Barbusse’s poetic vocabulary, use of antithesis, grotesque, irony, and sarcasm were preserved. Aristo Chumbadze, a brilliant stylist, produced translations that are both natural and refined, maintaining syntactical harmony with the original.

During the 1950s–1970s, Barbusse’s 1914 collection of psychological short stories drew attention from Georgian writers and readers. The stories are grouped around themes: 1. Fate; 2. Mad love; 3. Compassion. Many translations were published in Tbilisi-based and regional journals and newspapers. Roena Kenia’s translations such as La Tendresse, Hallali, Le Vrai Juge (The True Judge), Le Premier Amour (First Love), and Le Frère (The Brother)—are noted for their artistic quality and fidelity to the original.

The paper also presents a typological analysis comparing Henri Barbusse’s and Sergo Kldiashvili’s attitudes toward World War I and their respective works: Barbusse’s novel Under Fire and story “One Weeps, Another Laughs,” with Kldiashvili’s Ashes and “The Goblin Boys.”

Regrettably, Henri Barbusse failed to see the persecution of the Georgian intelligentsia and the ideological control over culture. He contributed to the integration of Georgian literature into socialist aesthetics and brought Georgian writers closer to European proletarian literature. Barbusse did not envision any better way out of the crisis of his time and blindly believed that democracy could only be expanded through revolution. Nevertheless, it must be emphasized that his novel Under Fire is an anti-war work that no political agenda can justify. His psychological stories are not ideologically driven; rather, they are filled with compassion for humanity and a deep desire to reveal human nature and promote goodness.