Abstract This paper analyzes the early journalism and selected literary works of Andrei Platonov (1899–1951) from the Voronezh period (1919–1926). They contain a maximalist philosophical and social utopia, envisioning the new Soviet era as a pathway to absolute fullness and immortality for humanity. Platonov emphasizes the necessity of transforming all being and humans, advocating for the destruction of the universe and even genocide. I argue that the key concept in Platonov's early writings is “fire” and trace its inner logic. Additionally, I attempt to show that the utopia is ontologically self‐destructive, and Platonov will have to struggle with its consequences in his further works.
Michał Milczarek (Fri,) studied this question.