A quiet, undeniable shift in culture is unfolding across the globe. It feels like tectonic plates shifting beneath ordinary life. The speaker once tied this change to a clash between patriots and liberals, but the depth of the shift has revealed itself only recently. It seems we are witnessing the end of an era marked by postmodern sensibilities. The old order, as it once stood, is fading from view.
There was a time when the Decembrists were described as the first undressed generation of the nobility. In similar terms, the speaker now observes peers and younger people who grew up in prosperity and freedom. They belong to a generation that has known relative abundance for generations, a contrast to the era of harsh strife and revolution. The current twenties have not exactly caught up with the tumult of the nineties, but they stand in a new light altogether.
Several generations have grown up in plenty and, to some degree, in spiritual stagnation. They have lived through boredom and a sense of stagnation. It is difficult to capture life in such a swampy mood. The culture of the moment has echoed a feeling that art has lost its edge, and postmodernism as a movement has leaned into that mood, shaping the prevailing cultural paradigm.
The era has shown humor, irony, allusions, and clever references with a sharp wit. It has produced a kind of sarcasm that often replaced deeper meaning. There is a paradox here: literary development frequently aligns with periods of restriction, when culture evolves under pressure or hardship. In other words, difficult times have a way of refining creative work.
Why does this happen? Why now? The answer is simple in its own way: humanity continues to live and create. People crave more than basic sustenance, especially when life is stressful and complex.
Today, a striking image emerges: a poetry of conditional neorealism gaining traction in Russia. Verses about life, death, duty, and the human condition are resonating with audiences and growing in popularity. New voices rise in abundance while familiar names drift away, hardly noticed, as if they dissolve into fog. A fresh crop of writers gains prominence, shaping the literary landscape for a new era.
The speaker once believed the shift was a narrow internal process. Yet the rising demand for a revolutionary romanticism abroad, with a nod to a conditional Che Guevara, suggests a broader reckoning. Audiences are less interested in glossy trends and minoritarian intrigue and more eager for newly meaningful, provocative ideas that feel real and relevant.
There has always been a demand for protest and social discourse in the United States, a force seen in the enduring appeal of rap and other bold forms of expression. As formal rhetoric tightens and tolerance becomes more rigid in some quarters, fresh voices are likely to emerge. These voices will reject pretentious displays and instead offer clear, potentially controversial statements about culture and society.
There was a belief that postmodernism might be overtaken by postmannerism, a lighter, more direct cultural stance. That would have happened if the world had not faced a series of brutal tests, from widespread quarantine to the looming threat of war. In today’s climate, people crave stark simplicity and meaningful signals that help them hold onto something steady as the global order grows uncertain.
In this sense, the question returns: is this shift for better or worse? A blunt metaphor used by a cannibal—”we chew, we’ll see”—captures a pragmatic view of outcomes. The text offers a personal perspective on these issues, inviting readers to form their own conclusions about the direction of culture and society.