Being aflame: Utopia in Andrei Platonov's writings from the Voronezh period (1919–1926)

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.