-stan
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| - | '''Absurdistan''' is a term sometimes used to [[satire|satirically]] describe a country in which [[absurdity]] is the norm, especially in its public authorities and government. The expression was originally used by [[Eastern bloc]] [[dissident]]s to refer to parts (or all) of the [[Soviet Union]] and its satellite states. Today, the term is most often reserved for [[Russia]] and states formerly in the [[Soviet Empire|Soviet]] [[sphere of influence]] which have retained Soviet-style authoritarian governments, such as [[Azerbaijan]], [[Uzbekistan]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Belarus]], [[Bulgaria]] or [[Slovakia]]. | + | The [[suffix]] '''-''stan''''' ({{lang-fa|{{linktext|ـستان}}|translit=stân}}) is [[Persian language|Persian]] for "place of" or "country". |
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| - | The first printed use of the word, in any language, can be found in the German monthly edition ''Politische Studien'': Monatshefte der Hochschule für politische Wissenschaften, München, veröffentlicht vom Isar-Verlag. (1971) : "... erkennen wir, dass wir uns hier in ''Absurdistan'' bewegen." (''Political Studies'': Monthly of the University for political Studies, Munich, published by Isar-Verlag (1971) (free translation): ''... we recognize, that we are here venturing on Absurdistan territory.'') Later, in [[Czech language|Czech]] (''Absurdistán''), the term was often used by the dissident and later president [[Václav Havel]]. This seems to indicate that use of the term began during [[perestroika]]. The first recorded printed use of the term in [[English language|English]] was in ''[[The Spectator|Spectator]]'' in an article on August 26, 1989, about Czechoslovakia (''Czechoslovakians have taken to calling their country "Absurdistan" because everyday life there has long resembled the "[[Theatre of the Absurd]]".'') On September 18, 1989, there was an article in ''[[The Nation]]'' (New York) called ''Prague Summer of '89: Journey to Absurdistan''. On August 30, 1990, ''[[The New York Times]]'' used it in an article about the Soviet Union., and January 18, 1990, The Village Voice article by Bonnie Sue Stein and Vit Horejs called THE NEW KING OF ABSURDISTAN, an interview with Vaclav Havel. | + | |
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| - | ==Other uses== | + | |
| - | After its original reference to countries like [[Turkmenistan]], [[Afghanistan]], and others ending in [[-stan]] in ironical use for the collapsing [[Eastern bloc]], the term was extended to other countries. The term has been used in several titles of movies, books, and articles: | + | |
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| - | * The German comic book ''Abenteuer in Absurdistan mit Micky Maus'' (Germany 1993, volume 189 of the comic series "Walt Disneys Lustiges Taschenbuch). | + | |
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| - | * ''Welcome to Absurdistan: [[Ukraine]], the Soviet Disunion and the West'' by Lubomyr Luciuc, 1994 (ISBN 096941255X). | + | |
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| - | * The song "Absurdistan" by [[Blind Passengers]] (both single and video, 1995). | + | |
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| - | * "Absurdistan" is a song by [[Germany|German]] [[darkwave]]/[[gothic rock]] [[band (music)|band]] [[Goethes Erben]], from their 1997 [[single (music)|single]] ''[[Sitz der Gnade]]''. The title is often capitalized as "Absurd'''IST'''an" to indicate a wordplay on “Absurd ist an”, roughly translating to “The absurd is on”. | + | |
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| - | * ''Hazám, Abszurdisztán'' (Absurdistan, my Home) is a book by Lajos Grendel, Bratislava, 1998 (ISBN 807149206X). | + | |
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| - | * ''Geboren in Absurdistan'', 1999 Austrian movie. | + | |
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| - | * The album ''Absurdistan'' by Romanian artist [[Ada Milea]] (2002) | + | |
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| - | * ''Absurdistan'' by [[Eric Campbell (reporter)|Eric Campbell]], 2005, an account of the author's experiences as an [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] [[foreign correspondent]], including a detailed account of the death of his cameraman and his injury as a result of a [[car bomb]] during the 2003 [[invasion of Iraq]]. | + | |
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| - | * ''[[Absurdistan (novel)|Absurdistan]]'', a 2006 satirical novel by [[Gary Shteyngart]] set in a fictional former Soviet republic. | + | |
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| - | * ''[[Absurdistan (film)|Absurdistan]]'', a 2008 film directed by Veit Helmer. | + | |
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| - | ==See also== | + | |
| - | * [[-stan]] | + | |
| - | * [[Banana republic]] | + | |
| - | * [[Molvania]] | + | |
| - | * [[Fictional country]] | + | |
| - | * [[Orientalism]] | + | |
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The suffix -stan (Template:Lang-fa) is Persian for "place of" or "country".
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "-stan" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
