Grigori Gorin Forget Herostratus

Forget Herostratus is a story about a man in ancient Greece who burned down the Temple of Artemis in order to live forever, but it is much more than that. Grigori Gorin is a genius writer who wrote an instant classic full of universal themes that will stand the test of time. Gorin’s Forget Herostratus is a clear critique of the Soviet Union, but it is an ingeniously disguised critique, enabling the play to get past the censors and communicating Gorin’s serious messages within a historical, comedic framework. One of the serious messages that Gorin hides within Forget Herostratus is a critique of the Soviet Judicial System, the Ephesian Judicial System offering a clear reflection. Gorin begins his criticism of the Soviet Judicial System with a quick jab of the physical condition of the prison. The Man of the Theater remarks, “The ancient Greeks excelled in building magnificent palaces and temples but their prisons were awful. Prisons in all ages are ugly, utilitarian structures” (178). In speaking about “prisons in all ages,” it is clear that Gorin is commenting on Soviet prisons as well. A quick jab, but an effective one. Additionally, Gorin
When Cleon discovers that Tissafernes has ordered fifteen copies of Herostratus’s manuscript, he is shocked that Tissafernes has broken the law (229). Tissafernes justifies his actions saying, “Of course…but I issued the decree myself. Therefore, according to you, it is not I who govern the laws but the laws that govern me! Anyway, it’s a trivial matter, and not worth getting licensed about, my dear Archon” (229). This is a clear critique of the Soviet Judicial system and how the Party Elite evaded the law but forced it upon the common people. Gorin is making a clear condemnation of the irony and hypocrisy of the Soviet Judicial