Generation "П"/P is the third novel by Russian author Victor Pelevin. Published in 1999, it tells the story of Babylen Tatarsky, a Moscow 'creative' and advertising copywriter. The story deals with themes of post-Soviet Russia, consumerism, recreational drug use, and Mesopotamian mythology.
An English translation by Andrew Bromfield was published by Penguin in the US as Homo Zapiens, and by Faber and Faber in the UK as Babylon.
A film adaption by Victor Ginzburg was released on 14 April 2011.
List of chapters
Generation 'P'
Draft Podium
Tikhamat-2
The Three Riddles of Ishtar – Tatarsky runs into his old classmate, Gireiev, and visits his home outside of Moscow. Gireiev and Tatarsky consume some fly agaric mushrooms. Tatarsky, hallucinating, enters an abandoned construction site, viewing it as the ziggurat he read of in chapter three. Poor Folk The Path to Your Self Homo Zapiens – Using a ouija board Tatarsky summons the spirit of Che Guevara to ask him about advertising. By means of automatic writing, Guevara dictates a polemic on the nature of television, based on the thought of Buddhist teacher Siddhārtha Gautama. Safe Haven The Babylonian Stamp Wee Vova The Institute of Apiculture Cloud in Pants The Islamic Factor Critical Times The Golden Room – Tatarsky attends a reception in a bunker below the Ostankino TV Tower. He is dressed with a mirror and a mask and taken to the golden room, where he looks into the sacred eye. Azadovsky is strangled. Tatarsky is declared to be ritual husband of the goddess Ishtar. Tuborg Man – in his role as husband of Ishtar, Tatarsky appears in innumerable television commercials. In the final scene, he is seen as the resting wayfarer in a commercial for Tuborg beer.
Characters
Vavilen Tatarsky (Babylen Tatarsky in the English translation) – The hero of the story, Tatarsky is a former student of the Literary Institute of Moscow and a disillusioned poet. In chapter two, he meets a former classmate and becomes an advertising copywriter. His name is an acronym of Vasily Aksenov and Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, giving V.A.V.I.Len. Hussein – provides 'security' at the kiosks where Tatarsky works in chapter two. He is addicted to opiates and Sufi music. He recognises Tatarsky in chapter 10, shortly after Tatarsky's hallucinogenic experience. Hussein then detains Tatarsky, but is released by Wee Vova, who is his boss Khanin's protection. Sergei Morkovin – a classmate from the Literary Institute. Morkovin gets Tatarsky his first advertising job at Draft Podium. He appears again in chapter 11, getting Tatarsky a position at the Institute of Apiculture. In chapter 12 he inducts Tatarsky into the institute's secrets. Andrei Gireiev – another classmate from the Literary Institute. In chapter four he introduces Tatarsky to the fly agaric mushroom. In chapter nine he talks Tatarsky down after his LSD-induced hallucination. He supplies Tatarsky mushrooms one more time in chapter 14. The Sirruf – this is a winged, dog-like dragon which appears to Tatarsky during a hallucinogenic trance in chapter nine. Amongst other things, it claims it is guardian to the Tower of Babel. Farsuk Seiful-Farseikin – TV political analyst at the institute. He inducts Tatarsky into the society in the penultimate chapter.