Vladímir Sorokin's 'El Kremlin de azúcar' Now in Spanish: A Surreal Glimpse into Russia's Future
In September 2022, Acantilado released the Spanish version of Vladímir Sorokin's novel 'El Kremlin de azúcar' (2008), translated by Jorge Ferrer. This work comprises fifteen episodic narratives centered around a sugar Kremlin figurine, presenting a surreal and violent portrayal of Russia that merges 'tsarism and totalitarian futurism,' as described by Antonio Ortuño. Sorokin, who hails from Bykovo and was born in 1955, is also recognized for his earlier works, including 'Manteca de cerdo azul' (1999), 'El hielo' (2002), and 'El día del oprichnik' (2006). Set in a 2027-2028 Russia surrounded by a Great Wall, Sorokin's writings have sparked controversy, and he aspires to return to Moscow post-Ukraine war, dismissing the émigré label.
Key facts
- Vladímir Sorokin's novel 'El Kremlin de azúcar' (2008) has been translated into Spanish by Jorge Ferrer and published by Acantilado in September 2025.
- The book is a collection of fifteen episodic stories following a sugar figurine of the Kremlin.
- Sorokin was born in Bykovo, Russia, in 1955.
- His novels 'El hielo' (2002) and 'El día del oprichnik' (2006) were reissued in Spanish by Alfaguara in 2022.
- In 2002, members of the Nashi youth group publicly destroyed copies of 'Manteca de cerdo azul' in front of the Bolshoi Theatre.
- Sorokin's novel 'El día del oprichnik' imagines a Russia in 2027 isolated by a Great Wall.
- In a 2025 interview with the Paris Review, Sorokin said he moved to Berlin but hopes to return to Moscow when the war in Ukraine ends.
- The article credits Antonio Ortuño for introducing the author to Sorokin's work in 2012.
Entities
Artists
- Vladímir Sorokin
- Antonio Ortuño
- José Antonio Ramos Sucre
- Angélica Gorodischer
- José Bernardo Couto
- Damián Tabarovsky
- Alexander Levitsky
- Sofya Khagi
- Jorge Ferrer
Institutions
- Acantilado
- Alfaguara
- La Tempestad
- Paris Review
- Universidad Brown
- Universidad de Míchigan
- Teatro Bolshói
- Nashi
Locations
- Bykovo
- Rusia
- México
- China
- Berlín
- Moscú
- Montreaux
- Ucrania