Literary Center of Constructivists on Its Way to the RAPP (From the History of Literary Life at the Turn of the 1920s — 1930s)

The article examines one of the episodes of the literary struggle of the late 1920s — early 1930s — the history of the entry of the Literary Center of Constructivists (LCC) into the Russian Association of Proletarian Writers (RAPP). At the beginning of 1930, almost all literary groups and associations faced the need to define a new level of interaction with RAPP. LCC, as one of the literary groups closest to RAPP, seemed to have all the prerequisites for a successful association with the RAPP. But in reality, this did not happen. Members of RAPP are suspicious of constructivists; attacks at LCC are becoming more frequent in the press. Always considered a left-wing association, LLC is declared a petty-bourgeois group, with which, despite its disbandment, an irreconcilable struggle is required. This article bears upon not only the periodicals of 1930 but also and mainly upon the hitherto unstudied transcripts and other archival documents of RAPP. New archival materials reveal internal processes of the literary struggle at the turn of the decade, and make it possible to demonstrate how, even after the acceptance of the Constructivists by RAPP, the former continue to be perceived as a hostile group whose past was to always blame them.

The Trickster Hero in M. Frisch’s Novel My Name Be Gantenbein

The article offers an interpretation and analysis of the novel My Name Be Gantenbein, allowing to find an explanation to the genre uncertainty of the work of the Swiss writer M. Frisch. Due to the non-linear stylistics of the narrative, the image of Gantenbein eludes an unambiguous classification in terms of moral and ethical problematics lying on the surface. The hero of the novel turns into a methodological principle that clarifies the fundamental existences of life. In classical tradition, these included the concepts of freedom and law, truth and lies, truth and deception, game and life. The complicated plot makes Gantenbein a functional representative of both freedom and blind law. They create semantic space of self-organizing life. As a result, the character is endowed with properties of a trickster, because he accepts the complexity of such a life at the level of his existence. The investigation reveals that the game, roles and masks create the ideological basis of the story. This framework directs the reader to perceive life in its everyday manifestations, contributing to the development of an antidote to escapism.

“A Strange Romance,” or Abelard and Héloïse in Russia of the 18th Century

The article gives an analysis of the first Russian translation of Abelard and Héloïse’s letters (The Collection of Abelard and Héloïse’s Letters with the Life Description of These Miserable Lovers) made by A.I. Dmitriev in 1783 from Count Bussy-Raboutin’s French retelling. A comparative analysis of Dmitriev’s translation with the original text shows the conventional character of their connection. Following Bussy, Dmitriev not always sticks to the Latin original even in the main storylines. Even if he retains the canvas of the original medieval text, he supplements it with countless details: a portrait of a lover, a tear-drenched letter, mad passion. A similar transformation takes place with the Historia Calamitatum in the retelling made by Augustus von Kotzebue. In prefaces both authors designate their works as “female” reading. The interest in the story of two lovers is probably caused by the recent release of J.-J. Rousseau’s Julie, or the New Heloise. The choice of material, the nature of its adaptation, the appeal to women and the circumstances of the publication of Dmitriev’s translation and Kotzebue’s retelling demonstrate the commitment of these authors to sentimentalism, which explains their desire to cause tears in the eyes of their readers.

Motherland in the Philosophical Constructions of I.A. Ilyin: Literary Projections

This is the first attempt at analyzing philosophical works about Motherland by Ivan Ilyin (written in the 1920s) as the solid ideological structure, which influenced literature of the Russian emigration of the 1920s as well as Russian émigré selfawareness. The article describes the system of Ilyin’s thought in its dynamics: from his first speeches, delivered in Berlin in 1922, towards the speeches (and articles) of the second half of the 1920s. It highlights certain changes in the definition of the Motherland: in the beginning of his philosophical career, Ilyin understands Motherland as related to the Civil War and the interests of the White Army; later, he moves this concept to religious sphere; by the end of the 1920s he relegates Motherland to the context of world history and Russian culture. Several examples show how Ilyin’s philosophy influenced (or sounds in consonance with), main ideas of the early émigré literature (including novels and political articles by Ivan Bunin, Nina Berberova, Vladimir Nabokov, and Marina Tsvetaeva). That Ivan Ilyin, a former professor of law turned into the greatest ideologist of Russia Abroad is a typical sign of the time and the proof of politicization of Russian philosophy.

Inspectors and Auditors: Some Sources of Andrey Platonov’s Work of the 1920s

The article examines the work of Andrey Platonov of the 1920s in the context of the history of the Soviet state and Communist Party administration departments. Allusions to the activity of these authorities are present in many of Platonov’s works (“Gorod Gradov,” “Administrativnoe Estestvoznanie,” “Usomnivshiysya Makar,” “Nadlezhachie Meropriyatiya (Socialnaya Satira nashih dney),” etc.). Most of the references relate to anti-bureaucratic and rationalization activities of these power and control authorities. The effort to perfect bureaucratic machine is represented in Platonov’s work as pseudoproductive, pseudo-scientific, and meaningless activity. Yet, it is also shown how such pseudo-organization can become real life-threatening force.

Leo Tolstoy and Andrei Platonov’s Prose of 1941–1945

Comparative analysis of A. Platonov’s wartime stories (1941–1945) and Leo Tolstoy’s Sevastopol Stories, War and Peace and Hadji Murat is performed. Items reviewed: 1) Both Red Army fighters in Platonov’s works and soldiers in Tolstoy’s works identify themselves not with an abstract “Fatherland,” but with their local “small motherland.” 2) Both for Tolstoy and Platonov, neither skilful strategy nor overpowering armaments become the war decisive factor but every single soldier’s courage. The battle often develops as an intersection of planned and unforeseen happenings, and everyone bears his own responsibility in it. 3) Platonov’s “truth,” like Tolstoy’s “providence,” is linked to the attacked side and serves as a moral justification of resistance to the aggressor. 4) Platonov, however, like Tolstoy (who speaks as a consistent pacifist in his later works), sees the danger of moral degradation as the result of war, and degradation signs had been notable before the war. Sacrifices (including, in this context, Platonov’s own son) are not in vain only if there is better life after the war.

Mythopoetics of Lesia Ukrainka’s Forest Song in English Reception and Interpretation

The article deals with English reception and interpretation of mythopoetics in Lesia Ukrainka’s Forest Song. The great difficulty of this work for foreign reception and interpretation due to the large number of mythical and folklore elements, which are important ethnic components of its poetics, is pointed out. The article is based on comparative and typological, structural, descriptive, interpretative methods and the holistic system analysis. It is noted that a significant part of the Forest Song mythology falls on demonology, where each of the demons has features attributed to him by folk beliefs. It is investigated that both translators managed to preserve ethnic specificity of these characters due to different ways of interpretation, although not without certain inaccuracies. It is also noted that an important component of the ethnic poetics of Lesia Ukrainka’s work is magic charm, the successful translation of which demonstrates the true interpretative findings of both translators. Translations of Ukrainian mythology of Lesia Ukrainka’s Forest Song by G. Evans and P. Cundy can be considered successful, as they are marked by the maximum approximation to the original content, spirit and style.

The Origin of Labour Camp Theme in A.I. Solzhenitsyn’s Works: from Poetry to The Gulag Archipelago

In the present article A.I. Solzhenitsyn’s poetic works and The Gulag Archipelago are analyzed, their proximity and thematic kinship are revealed. The authors appeal to the creative history of these works, remark that poems and parts of the Archipelago are arranged according to a certain pattern. Both in poetry and prose, Solzhenitsyn reveals the path taken by Soviet convicts. Camps for political prisoners and I.V. Stalin’s death take significant place in his works. A.I. Solzhenitsyn is particularly interested in the unity of heroes with nature, communion with it as with an attribute of free people’s life. The writer claims that the camp may become a starting point for spiritual resurrection of a human being. Metaphorization as one of the artistic elements is used for the first time in lyrics to reveal the image of Russia. The authors conclude that the camp theme arose during Solzhenitsyn’s imprisonment and was first expressed in lyrics and the narrative poem Dorozhen’ka. The Gulag Archipelago was formed later not only from the personal experience of the author but also from numerous materials and evidence of eyewitnesses.

Blake Studies in the 21st Century

The author summarizes Blake studies of the 21st century. The beginning of the modern era of Blake studies can be considered with the paradigm of deconstruction. At the end of the 20th century, synthetic analysis took a special place in Blake studies, when Blake’s illuminated books were studied as an inseparable unity of verbal and visual. Blake’s legacy has undergone a significant evolution related to deconstruction and postmodern approaches, and linguistic research. The development of traditional areas of research, such as psychoanalysis, textual criticism of manuscripts, religious and mystical allusions, and comparative studies is also traced. Postmodernism, which owes much to the Romanticism (i.e. the concept of irony, fragmentation, the category of the exalted, the original lonely hero), brought new features to Blake studies and greatly contributed to its approval among canonical authors of the Romanticism. In modern Blake studies, such areas as gender studies, postcolonial studies, studies in digital reality environments are most actively developing. Starting from the 2000s, the main direction in Blake studies has become reception, that is, the cultural influence of Blake’s writings on later culture, including the culture of other countries: poetry, literature, music and cinema. Each new era reveals fundamentally similar features and adds meanings to Blake: this process is going from symbolism and psychoanalysis to the present day.