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.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8698.2019.2.29893

Abstract: The article is devoted to an understudied issue, the relation of Russian anti-nihilistic novel (1860 - 1880) to gothic novel or, in a wide sense, European and Russian gothic literature. The scope of the research covers a number of Russian and foreign researches directly or indirectly discussing the relation 'anti-nihilistic - gothic novel'. In accordance with the research objectives and targets, the author provides an insight into the matter and describes the areas for his research. The main research methods used by the author include bibliographical, biographical, motif and plot analysis, comparison and historical literary research. The  main issues related to the Russian nihilism - gothics relation include the question about whether there was a gothic plot in an anti-nihilist novel; the influence of gothic literature on the creative method of particular authors in anti-nihilistic novel, goals of gothic poetics in Russian anti-nihilistic novel, the influence of gothic poetics on the development of eschatological motifs of Apocalypse in Russian anti-nihilistic novels. Trying to describe the general meaning of addressing of anti-nihilistic authors to the poetics of gothic novel, the author of the article comes to the concept of the 'highest analytical meaning' of anti-nihilistic novel when conclusions are mystical prophesy and discovers the need in an anagogic interpretation of a text. Thus, references  to gothics in an anti-nihilistic novel are not limited to the borrowing of expressive means but relate to the Russian eschatology issue.