How did village prose writers portray the conflict between rural tradition and modern life?

In the context of Russian literature, "village prose" writers emerged as a significant literary movement from the late 1960s through the early 1980s, providing a realistic portrayal of the tension between traditional rural life and the encroaching forces of modernity.1

These writers often employed a nostalgic tone to document the erosion of rural customs and the natural environment. A defining characteristic of the movement was its skepticism toward modern industrial and technological progress, which was frequently depicted as a destructive force against established ways of life.2

A notable example of this thematic conflict is Valentin Rasputin’s novel Farewell to Matyora (1976), which centers on a village facing total destruction to accommodate a hydroelectric plant. Through such narratives, village prose writers highlighted the moral and cultural loss inherent in the modernization process, marking a distinct departure from the optimism found in earlier Socialist-Realist "collective farm" novels. While these works often praised the simplicity and values of the Russian countryside, they served as a poignant critique of the social and environmental costs of Soviet modernization.21