Since the 1990s, influenced by the spatial turn in philosophy and the social sciences, literary narratives have undergone a corresponding spatial turn. Space is no longer merely a passive container for stories but has become an active force that participates significantly in narrative construction. Spatial narrative has thus become an essential method for structuring plots, organizing narrative forms, shaping characters, and highlighting themes within literary works. The novels of Russian author Lyudmila Ulitskaya display distinctive poetic qualities, notably characterized by ambiguous temporal settings, thereby foregrounding spatial narratives. Using spatial narrative as the analytical entry point, this paper classifies the spatial narratives in Ulitskaya’s novels into three progressively deepening dimensions: domestic space, wandering space, and psychological space. Through close textual reading and horizontal categorization, this paper seeks to uncover the processes of emotional construction and disintegration, spiritual dilemma and redemption, and self-reconstruction and self-perfection among modern individuals. Furthermore, it reflects on the existential condition and vicissitudes of modern people during the transitional period in Russian society, elucidating how the existential spaces of a particular historical period create spiritual dilemmas for modern individuals and chart potential paths to liberation.

Lyudmila Ulitskaya, spatial narrative, domestic space, wandering space, psychological space, spiritual dilemma