DOI: 10.7256/2454-0757.2023.12.39234

Abstract: The article is devoted to Berdyaev's first Italian journey, which had a "tremendous influence" both on his creative destiny and on the development of his aesthetic views. It is significant that one of the defining motives for visiting Italy was his desire to "return to his homeland impressed by the greatest beauty"! Since the first journey of the philosopher was connected with Florence, it seemed appropriate to pay due attention to the achievements of this city and its decisive contribution to the formation and development of the culture of the Renaissance. The formation of revivalist principles in Florentine literature and fine arts is shown; the formation of theory (Alberti) and the history of art (Vasari), as well as a number of cultural phenomena accompanying these processes, which ultimately determined the artistic and aesthetic appearance of Florence and turned it into the capital of the Italian Renaissance. As a result, this makes it possible to fully understand and appreciate Berdyaev’s choice of this particular city, especially since Florence not only made “the strongest impression” on him, but also became the “key” to understanding both Florentine art proper and artistic-aesthetic culture Italian Renaissance. This is the first attempt in Russian literature to consider and analyze Berdyaev's Florentine journey as one of the sources of his creative heritage, which has not yet become the subject of special study. The relevance of topic is also determined by the existing confusion on this issue, which the article is aimed at overcoming.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8728.2022.2.36236

Abstract: The article is devoted to one of the most important sources of Berdyaev's creativity, which is usually overlooked when studying his legacy. We are talking about the philosopher's Italian travels, which had a "huge" influence on his work. But since his trips go far beyond the boundaries of his personal experience alone and fit seamlessly into the general context of Russian-Italian cultural ties, it seemed appropriate to turn to their expanded disclosure within the broader theme of "Italy and Russia" in order, on the one hand, to show the inextricable connection of Berdyaev's Italian travels with this centuries-old tradition, thanks to which formed the soil that will become a breeding ground for many of the defining provisions of Berdyaev's aesthetics. And on the other hand, against this broader historical background of cultural ties between our countries, the declared topic appears more multifaceted, highlighting the full significance and influence of Italian travels on Berdyaev's work, and at the same time demonstrating their far from accidental nature, which caused both his research interest in Italian culture and the conceptual foundations of his philosophical- aesthetic thought. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that it is the first attempt in Russian literature to study Berdyaev's Italian travels as one of the most important sources of his work, which have not yet been the subject of special study. In addition, they are viewed against a broad background of Russian-Italian cultural ties that have been formed over several centuries, which the Silver Age inherited as an established tradition. This makes it possible to identify both their organic connection and continuity with this tradition, and hence their quite natural character, and Berdyaev's active role in the development and strengthening of these ties.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0757.2018.2.24280

Abstract: This article is a continuation of the author's previous work "The Phenomenon of Theurgy in Aesthetics of N. A. Berdyaev: Origins and Approaches to the Problem" (Philosophy and Culture, 2017. No. 8), which analyzes the key problem of Berdyaev's creative heritage – the problem of theurgy that is interlinked with his concept of the tragedy of creativity. Namely the understanding of creativity as tragic in its nature, justified Berdyaev’s reference to the problem of theurgy, in which the author saw the opportunity to overcome the creative tragedy. This aspect is the subject of the article. The focus of attention lies in the most characteristic aspects that form the common contours of the future era and peculiarities of the new creativity. Highlighted by the author above all; this includes anthropomorphic character of creativity, and comprehension of its nature as immanent-religious. The article examines Berdyaev’s interpretation of symbolism as the expression of a profound cultural crisis, and simultaneously, the final act of the tragedy of creativity, which theurgy is called to overcome. But since the theurgist will "create the world in beauty”, the new creativity will be capable of revealing the actual aesthetic basis and essence of the universe. The scientific novelty consists in the author’s reconstruction of Berdyaev’s concept of theurgy. It determines the key role of the indicated problem for the philosophical-aesthetic thought of Berdyaev, as well as the concept of the tragedy of creativity. The author analyzes the pivotal, according to Berdyaev, features of the future era of creativity and peculiarities of the theurgical creativity, as well as the link between the latter and the “failure of culture”, symbolism, and aesthetic problematic as such.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0757.2017.8.21675

Abstract: This article analyzes one of the crucial problems of Berdyaev’s artistic legacy – the problem of theurgy, which is intertwines with the main theme of his entire «life and thought» – the theme of creativity and, above all, the tragedy of creative path of humanity. Namely the comprehension of creativity as tragic in its nature substantiated Berdyaev’s reference to the problem of theurgy, in which he saw a way out of the common “tragic state of the world”, as well as overcoming the tragedy of creativity. The article demonstrated the connection of the problem of theurgy with aesthetics of Berdyaev. Taking into account the importance of such problematic for Berdyaev’s aesthetics alongside the entire Russian religious philosophical-aesthetic and artistic thought, the author provides a brief insight into the history of establishment of the concept of theurgy, its fusion with the philosophy, and particularly Neo-Platonism. Being an integral theoretical concept, theurgy already had a number of important basic provisions in its origins, which can be easily recognized in the works of Russian thinkers, writers and artists, including the aesthetics of Berdyaev. The author illustrates the continuity of Berdyaev’s perception of theurgy with the tradition of late antiquity alongside the Russian national tradition; and at the same time, the specificity of his solution associated with the deep metaphysical understanding of the nature of creativity, which was viewed in the context of the hypostatic doctrine. The scientific novelty consists in the authorial reconstruction of the fundamental provisions of Berdyaev’s concept of theurgy, which allows characterizing his aesthetics as theurgical. Special contribution of the author into this research is the revelation of the role of theurgical problematic for the overall philosophical-aesthetic thought of Berdyaev, inevitability of his way of cognition, as well as the philosopher’s understanding of theurgy and its inscription into the extensive historical context of Neo-Platonic and Russian religious philosophical-aesthetic thought alongside the author’s context of the philosophy of creativity as a whole, including the concept of artistic tragedy that predetermined Berdyaev’s way of comprehension of the theurgical problematic.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0757.2015.2.14151

Abstract: This article is the continuation of Kudaev's previous work "Nikolay Berdyaev’s Philosophy of Culture in Terms of His Concept of Tragedy" (published in 'Philosophy and Culture' Journal, Issue 1, 2015) in which Kudaev analyzes one of the most important topics in Berdyaev's creative heritage - his philosophy of culture. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that this subject is viewed in terms of Berdyaev’s concept of tragedy which allows  to understand metaphysical grounds of being and existence including being and existence of culture. This is the subject of the present research article. The article is focused on one of the most paradoxical contradictions of culture: the ontological conflict with life itself, tragic opposition to existence and inevitable transition of culture into civilization. Kudaev shows their internal relationship and tragic antagonism which Berdyaev considered to be inevitable and which could be worded as follows: when society, represented by its prominent representatives, directs the creative energy to create cultural values, it is forced to restrict and even to suppress the will to live, to sacrifice the "thirst for life" to culture. On the contrary, when the society has the "will to live" and the thirst for power and strength, then culture is sacrificed. This antagonism can't be overcome and generates, in its turn, a whole number of contradictions (between goals and means, the meaning of life and the meaning of existence, the creator and his creation) with all the ensuing consequences for the development of culture, civilization and the entire creative fate of human. The research is of integrated nature at the confluence of cultural studies, philosophy, esthetics, religious studies and history which, in its turn, has determined a complex historical-philosophical and philosophical-cultural methodology. The scientific novelty of the article is caused by the fact that the author reconstructs the basic provisions of Berdyaev’s philosophy of culture exclusively from the point of view of Beryaev’s concept of tragedy. 

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0757.2015.1.13749

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DOI: 10.7256/2454-0722.2014.10.13054

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DOI: 10.7256/2306-1596.2013.1.572

Abstract: The article includes analysis of the religious methaphysics and ñhristological anthropology by N.Berdyaev, which influenced the formation of the "key theme" of his "life and thought",  his creative philosophy. The author shows the specific features of its understanding, its inclusion within the context of theanthropism. The author reconstructs Berdyaev's mythologem on the human being, which influenced the understaning of creative nature and mission of a human being. A human being is born to create, he should continue creation of the world, otherwise the divine plan shall not be implemented and "world creation shall not happen". The author shows the central role of the primary phenomenon of tragic matters in the entire philosophical and aesthetic concept of N. Berdyaev, which directly influenced his concept of creation and tragedy and creation, from which the understanding of future "creative work" of human being is formed.

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