Ljudmila Petrushevskaja: A New Voice of Glasnost.

During the period of glasnost, between 1985 and 1990, all of Russian literature changed. After 60 years of division between official and unofficial, dissident and emigre, the publishing of Russian literature became unified. Censorship and government control practically disintegrated. Among the "new voices" in Russian literature is Ljudmila Petrushevskaja, whose play cycle, "Kolombine's Apartment," is considered to be one of the most outstanding and creative in contemporary Russian literature. This paper discusses her life as well as her characters, settings, and language. The theme of her "Kolombina's Apartment" is the many faces of love and interpersonal relationships, and it presents truths about day-to-day realities of Soviet life. (LB)