Polina Panassenko's 'À voix haute' Traces Family History Erased in USSR

Polina Panassenko's second novel, 'À voix haute', published on August 20, 2026, by Éditions de l'Olivier, delves into the silenced history of her family in the Soviet Union. The narrative follows a twenty-year-old narrator who moves to Moscow to study at the École du Théâtre national. There, she reconnects with her grandfather, who communicates through objects—photographs, clothing, coins—rather than words, revealing a family legacy of silence and fear. The novel spans three decades, exploring the impact of Stalinist purges on subsequent generations. The narrator uncovers that her great-great-grandfather was a victim of the Soviet repressive machine, prompting an investigation that leads her to Kolyma in the Russian Far East. Panassenko describes this as a 'cartography of fear', tracing the origins of silence and how the fear of speaking is transmitted across generations. Theatre plays a central role, symbolizing the struggle to speak and resist erasure. The novel is included in the selection for the Le Monde literary prize. Panassenko, a Franco-Russian writer and actress, previously published 'Tenir sa langue' in 2022, and works as a translator from Russian to French. The RFI broadcast featured musical selections by La Grande Sophie and Youri Chevtchouk.