Simeon Polockij a Playwright: The New Study Aspects
The study of the dramaturgic complex which has come to us in a manuscript created in the 1680s–early 1690s in Moscow (kept in the Austrian National Library, Vienna) established that the dramaturgic heritage of Simeon Polockij was not limited to two plays (about Nebuchadnezzar and the prodigal son) in the «Rythmologion». It also includes morality play about the struggle of the Church with the «host of infidels» and seven interludes, previously known from a single list as an anonymous works of the first third of the 18th century. The analysis of the historical and cultural context of the time the morality play was created, as well as its vocabulary, in particular, a rare lexeme (Turchin) and literary techniques typical for the texts of Simeon Polockij (using of the liturgical texts as a structural and thematic motives), leave no doubt about the authorship. Simeon Polockij is also the author of the interludes that can be proven by the content, plot-thematic, stylistic and lexical calls observed between them. Certain situations, plot motives and the vocabulary of the(«Vertograd mnogostvetnyj», «Rythmologion», etc.). interludes can be identified in the context of Simeon’s works.