“The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain” by Eugene Yelchin
Candlewick Press, Somerville, Massachusetts, 2021,
Reading Level: 5-6, Comprehension Level Grades 9 and higher
Imagine for a moment that your actions and those of your family are recorded and later reported to the authorities. This is only possible in a society with a leader of immense power and the will to use this control to dominate a nation.
Unfortunately, a number of leaders such as Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler directed such reigns of terror. Dictators such as these use established laws when they are helpful for their totalitarianism purposes, and break the same laws if they impede their ambitions. The Russian nation experienced a number of these leaders in the 20th century.
Totalitarian leaders often look for scapegoats during times of unrest that turn justified anger away from the true source of evil to weak victims. Often the Jewish people are the targets of this hatred. Derisively called “the Yids,” Jews are convenient scapegoats for outbreaks of anti-Semitism. Eugene Yelchin writes a brilliant, funny and disturbing account of this in his autobiography, “The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain.”
The Yakovlevna family lives in a one-room apartment in Leningrad, Russia. Now renamed St. Petersburg, Leningrad is far north and has severe winters. The youngest son, Yevgeny, sleeps under the family table at night. He is a disappointment to his parents, as it seems he has no talent. His older brother, Victor, is an outstanding figure skater.
At night, Yevgeny draws incredible pictures on the bottom of the table. His father is an ardent Communist unable to advance in the military because of anti-Semitic hatred. Yevgeny’s mother works at the famous ballet company in Leningrad. She dreams of the clumsy Yevgeny becoming a famous Russian ballet dancer. If both boys become successful, the Communist Party will give the family a better apartment and maybe, an automobile.
While the older brother, Victor, is on his way to the Olympics, the younger brother struggles trying to find himself. It isn’t easy because few people value art and the family is constantly being watched by members of the KGB. One false slip-up and a person can disappear.
Yevgeny’s father eagerly wants to obtain a book of poems by a Russian poet but the Communist government frowns upon the poet’s writing. Finally, they allow a small number of copies to be sold. Mr. Yakovlevna is so eager for the title that he leaves the one-bedroom apartment without proper winter clothing. Yevgeny runs after his father to bring him more clothing as he waits for the treasured book. But the line is interminably long and the brutal weather could ruin the older man’s health. But the health risk seems worth it to get the poetry book. Several days later, tragedy strikes. Meanwhile, the KGB agent in their building studies the entire Yakovlevna family’s daily activities to determine if they are enemies of the state. What happens?
Are the Yakovlevnas traitors? How can such innocent actions be thought of as being attacks on the government? Why is everyone in Russia so terrified? Finally, where does all this Jewish hatred come from? To find out the answers to these and other questions, go to the library and check out “The Genius Under the Table” by Eugene Yelchin.
This is a sobering account of what happens when people lose their ability to act because of a tyrannical government. When people become terrified of their neighbors what happens to the society’s social fabric? Why in the world do the Jews get blamed for all these problems? Yelchin’s autobiography is a timely warning for those seeking a powerful leader capable of making and then breaking a country’s laws. The book is a witty, insightful and painful account of the Soviet Union. Highly recommended.
