DOI: 10.25136/2409-8698.2020.3.32711

Abstract: This article explores the impact of the elements and techniques of romantic and gothic literatures of the XVIII – XIX centuries upon anti-nihilistic novella “The Fatal Sacrifice” (1876) by A. A. Dyakov (A. Nezlobin). Attention is focused on the gothic-romantic motif of the “counsel of the wicked” and its adaptation to the relevant sociopolitical context of Russia and Russian émigré of the 1870’s. It is demonstrated that a mythological image of “witches’ sabbath” and characteristic to it motifs of “sacrifice”, “veneration of idols”, etc. become the techniques for depicting in the “Fatal Sacrifice” of a Swiss “club” of nihilists, revolutionists-socialists, and Narodniks. The author applies the biographical, comparative and historical methods of research, motif analysis, as well as analysis of storyline and characterology. The ideological component of nihilistically oriented Russian society of the 1860’s – 1870’s is taken into account.  The novella “Fatal Sacrifice”, which is included into the cycle “Kruzhkovschina” (1876-1879) is being analyzed for the first time, since there is no special scientific literature on these works within the Russian or foreign literary studies. The novelty of this research also consists in raising a question of the influence of romantic and gothic prose upon the works of A. A. Dyakov. Such influence is related to the two common to Russian anti-nihilistic literature semantic lines: eschatological and prophetic.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8698.2020.1.32153

Abstract: This article examines the influence of the romantic-gothic novel The Remote House on Vasilyevsky Island” (1829) by V. P. Titov and A. S. Pushkin upon the anti-nihilistic novel “The Secrets of Modern Petersburg” (1877) by . P. Meshchersky. In the limelight is the evolution and sociopolitical adaptation of the romantic-gothic themes “invitation of evil spirits into the house” and “evil spirits obsessed with romantic passion towards a human”. The article demonstrates how the religious-mythological image of “evil spirits” (destructive beginning) undergoes “ideological transformation”, and in the conditions of development of realistic art in the middle XIX century “blends” at the artistic level of anti-nihilistic level with the image of a “nihilist”. The research is based on biographical, comparative and historical methods, as well as motif analysis. The sociopolitical context of the 1870’s is being considered. Problematic of the continuity of Pushkin’s storyline, characterology, and system of themes in the works of V. P. Meshchersky is an unexplored area. The study of influence of the narrative “The Remote House on Vasilyevsky Island” upon anti-nihilistic novel “The Secrets of Modern Petersburg” along with their comparative analysis have not been previously conducted. The article also comments on the historiosophical ides, which led Meshchersky to reconsideration of Pushkin’s storyline and its adaptation to the relevant sociopolitical realities of the 1870’s.