THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANHIETY The Russian Silver Age and Its Legacy Galina Rylkovabay ney op Pe hays Pao apg ans Dat hh ‘Macon ‘nay Cop alee "ea eh yoo site ed CONTENTS Adowilgnets vt 1 Inueduetion: Ansty and the Russian Ser Age 2 Literature and Revolution: The Caf Alea Blok 23 + The Rassn Ser Age te Makesand Underakens 4 4. No“Room cf Her Owns Anna Akhmator' Tene The Wing Eavedhoper Kuztnin and Nabakor 18 6. The iver Agen Taso: Bei Fuster’ Das Zao 7 1 Bring the Thaw: Ana AKhnstv inthe got and thesssoe 32 &. The Apoeaypes Revised: Viktor Rees Rasian ty 79 9. Cade The Sie Age Up Close 200 ‘Arp: Orginal Raion Tee Inde 1ACKNOWLEDGMENTS chose the Silber Age asthe subject of my esearch nthe ames oE 6, At he tne, st people hoped to write about and tak ta wee nner outofmy rich, Aer graduating fom Moscow State Ui Sty worked forthe Academy of eens ane fllowed the Burgeo ing "Silver Age studies in the ates only frm a distance ft Russa aan experened tecnica tranalatr and not ae. stent oF lett. My North American tof ot opportune clades Nia error whom mised at grt det’ eanerence in Pil lpn 99 (se was kl) and als Joseph Brody whoa fale tosecatawien festival inToronoin ssp had say at ore with yg ‘am ezemely grateful te many people who nt only enriched rmykoawledge about the "SiverAge” Bat al made ry aeaderi fe ‘mesrirgl and the wating experience ess only and infitely more rewarding. Yat pastel grateful to Christopher Barns, ene Masing-Deli, rina Papermo, and rene Kscandes forthe mento ship oben our of rplaton, an fr calnging re to wre ‘beter book, Toy Nall ade ea moc verte uan beng by teaching me whatittakesto bean ade “amindebtedo Yulia Evgeneva Galan, Gana ThfeevnaSwelev,andoterescarcher atthe Blk Mum nt ees forte help end hotly in the years2000-2005 Marina Vlaena Solaris shared er insights i thet. Peterburg teary scene and made aya fev day ner apartment surrounded by vaio i ‘cay eles and Miran Volshin's nab yaterclrs. Tam patel Evgeni Borisvich Beladubor fori kindnese an oe showing me puts of Petersburg [would never hive sen thers ‘Brgeni Borisoich also introduced met ina Nibolaema Pun and Anna Genrthovn Kesinsai, who wer sypttcenogh oa ‘we my convaated questions abot Pun ad Amato in 2000 nd 200. would ket thank Tatiana Mikhailov Dvn for showing me the Poel kisi sche at Pushin Dorm in 2005 snd fr making a photocopy of chap of Vern Lita’ book focmeata time when i as impose to get ol ofthe book ny whee Secing Lknitiisarchive in i ctl pial tate—vhich mong many othr things, contaias numerous cap of pes, eve Tops with Akhmtow's hai; photographs of ht, another lcs of thelygencera—was truly one of the most memorable experiences of my sedan. ‘ant to thank Olga Glagolev, Rebert Mulcahy, Michal evi Fo, Bil Wot, Angela Benger Ana Kylov, Sa Dick sn, Timothy Sergey, Ruth Richin, Michael Ghar, EC (Land) Buladale, Keth Bllvant, Anema Sykes, Feder Comey, an ‘Bsauloy, Raph Lindel, RadslavLapushin, Mapa Osha, sand Anna Doers fr yest of suppar, ave and interest in my rereach am alo grateful torn tadent— Patria bet, ere lth Meadons, Lisa Boot, Adam Grune, Ada bet, and James ‘Siater—for ther wt pavence, and willing to stay the Rusa deri Aleksandr Burak, ames (ra) Goodin, sn ena Merishova taveread and ead about mote eso of ious capt than they shoud have ben asked ta. To her, ny daughter my ant, and my ‘Cenala-bor eat Thomas Tone my deepesthanke font giving up cn meand for erpinge te sd going. As the Uniesty of Ptbugh Pres tis book ha received un faking support am particle to Peter Krac for heft ny final pede, expert advice, and encouragent am ale in debied to the anonymous reviewer forthe intelectual enero, insightful suggestions, sr rough ris ofr mantrp. Deb ‘zak Meade and JneFandrs deserve eet fr thei expert handing the book tthe production tage, ale versions of chapter, and wee peau publica snd are reprinted ere with permlesion: caper “Literate and Revolution: The Case of Aebsand Blok,” Kr: Epa in Ru sn end Bsn sry 3 (Fl 200): 6-90; chape 5" Okryonmyy Sogyndatay—The Winged Eavendropper Nabokov and Kuz" Discs e eogy in Naboo ro David}. atmo New Yoke Routledge, 202), 4-38 chapter 6 "The Apocaype Revita Vike Erofoe's Rus nu,” in Gonder and Set e Rain Craton eer Barta New Yer: Routledge 203, 3-4. Lam tefl the dos of thee publications fr thee nterstinmy otk sts my esuch mete nerouy supported a postdctorl ‘ellonship fom the Sec Since and Humans Reset Counc ‘of Canada (SSHRC, 3996-200) and bythe Humane Enhancement Foundation ofthe Univesity of li summer 20,294) Tam grateful the Department of German and Savi Stuies the University of Florida for dfiaying the cot of having my book indeed Unter therwite indicate, ll tion te my own, aa any mistakes andlor dice interetationsIntroduction ——___ ANXIETY AND THE RUSSIAN SILVER AGE Fatale soning of Snthng i i we dont ‘seo cat er yal aan in hace fe cenan fier nto ‘amir aosth son py of ninth tnd inh caesar Non Monon fr Calm Age fi ad ty hs uy let penned by pace cp mem fe toning ‘Schone Tht oe be tec ne iveltn cle he Sha Age "Aroma ‘ind "On era gut bale fea” ee Nlaech wos ie pon nd wa oweded ty wih he eased sm none, wheespok ‘neve ppm on a nie wa conned in ‘a coneel aorta aver coma therh peed cession ol nbsomely ‘eeame common bel Ni tesping a oliver dan of feria i fatrlaiog folly tw Nilo cry via te cent isan impotantlndmark onthe Moscow scenes oe ofthe few enterprise that an Bost en year survival history trough ‘hemos turbulent ines tht have gripped Rusia in een decades occupies the glamorous refurbished building of what used tobe qT: pespeestrofa restaurant the Ser Age (Serebsiany velthe Moscow Turkish BatShouses. Loci only fev bloc fom the infamous Lubianka, combines the te imperial grandeur of de ‘orth he dunes (and empties oa big Soviet estanant of the Bezhney .In the summer of 005, [made hil vit fo the i ver Age. The dooeepergrvted us wth the dtconcetng question “whom would you Ma tose” (Wem He looked acous. When "ela that ale wanted wi toe unc hese showed Puzcement, ut he opened he doe. The sevice was impeccable, 28 ‘sual andthe fod was god. Hower, the but whee they Kept he ine sn liquor was lacked after lat nights anges, and we ba to it forthe owner (ho wasn no hurry to get there oa ey afer oon) tounlockit The return’ nin as we era ws ‘oor various receptions and weddings. People aly cate teen smal groups foe unc or dnne. Backing nespnse to ny ques ton shout the appropriateness oftucha name other estan one of the walters roped," ques we called the ier Ae because we hopadhat st oli make the Sir Age cone bck" ‘Why would a Rusin nowseu che, whe opened this esti ‘ant ins cate about the Ser Age? Why wou ayo want the Sher Agetocome back” Although the ertarant has changed hands severing the name as eminent, Apa rom eng sone st nexpensive restaurant, until ently one could et taste of the Sih Age by gmblng in tno Mosca Hosting casinos nated er ‘hemos prominent seeretativesf the Sher Age, Alekande Blok 80-s and Valeri Brusov 73-9). The promotion lr forthe Aleesandr Blk Cain a that thes agua sh never sopped ‘heat feed, hinting tthe custo hone it woul be to spend th ightin the ars fa loving besuty inthe Bek Hotel on oan” Both casinos vent outofbusinetin 2005, Atather coy coe ‘ansillcelebate one's god fran o cel down one's disappoint rent with lass of sparing wine called "The Silver Age” Would cveryone who des the so-called Rasa change Know wha the ‘iver Age wasal about” Mos ily nt. Iwo sees, however hat ‘he name is expected to st ome Frgtten memere of something vagy beat and faa otherwise, hy woul anyone promote businesses insuchamaanet? Inher ety "Puri Chidcen® ig, the wie Tatiana To stya describes the Ser Age a "tht legendary Sine” andas the T tric eating in the night and lo an yt destin” During the yet entire our inan cezcrinay anne... owen wel ack wth linge oro ade ht ender i lh ee sepa rm rly stant tatimpllar when we ee the es ofthe pole dbs nd ua te moro amino thr ine lind rpteie—e havea he Tn tig ei and hom on ay ‘sds avon fhe right) united, alee us wine andlogmt pl hai lang oxan cous batopig that joey lend wl, Aral he sip sole ston andl ‘Wil this mest boat beforee ating nthe davkes? Will we ot thou we ver tart oking tits passengers bro daylight? WL ‘hisdulation of he ber Age survive ints anothetcentuy oe? Or iltevenally perish ie the To despot ey because fbn so “song and eae" Po yeas the Sher Aghasbeen ns of the enters stud led topes in Russian itera stale, and fe years echo have bee struggling wth ts reise defnon The ert ote esplayed to dete looely 2 pre in Rusan cultural evan hat ended with Theadvent of the Hlahets in pr. What generally known the ‘©aofmodeenismnin Wester cles (190-93) wat eguenly ‘ded into the basomning SiberAge he ouishingaf the asin the year immediately preceding the evolution) andthe decaying age of sociation (he teri frmatons ofthe arts inthe liege an lyon). Many Iterary schol, both witha and outside Rusia ill ee Rusts Sher Ageas chm ot rao asa scl period in cultural lain on apa with matt a the Elightenment‘They have argued abot temporal bound, aout primary atcipants, about the chronology of "sell moments ned, hout the ppt oft wry ae. ‘Whatsina Name? ‘Omty Ronen is duly credited with tating a debate on the appropri tenes ofthe tern ibe ge "My purpose thingy he tates Inthe opening chapter of his celebrated The allay ofthe Ser Age aor "ist ace the Kory ofthe ter Sher Age’ a applied to the ist wor threo fur dscdes ofthe tenth century and to ints appopristens for hi particle stich often Rs sien teary sory” What, npr, pte Ronen’ nquty asthe “manifetly uncial atta towed the metallirgcl metaphor that he detected in the wks oF hi coleagutsThe specie book he Tad in led was Cabelas of Raston Mors: Pom th (ein Age he Sor Age pp) eed by Boi Gaspar, Robert ugh, anna Papen They ofthe aries comping The Cal! Mle, at Gaspurovenplarsinhis introduction, anchored bythe” self {eground. Te boro from Stephanie Sandler elegant surimaton shou Posh’ enduring poplar in Rus, "one woud think hat ser mere urgent neds might tak eo, and ofcourse in many Forurs they have but Russa silly" abot he Sve Age It \wouletbean exertion oy thi although inthe eyesofthe rest the wo twentieth century Russa ame tobe primal eto ith the Bolshevik Revolution and its aftermath, ws the myth of the Sine Age through which Ruslan colctve consis in ict evade anda Bours wos ‘manage sete cies Even the prvsing couse onthe Stain eo hat as sind poplaty oer the ast went years not eclipse the ongoing debate about the Ser Age and its legacy. And thi only tobe expected: while the Stalls tree hasbeen persed in general san aborninable past experience that oe shoul eter ryt forget ‘c never stp speaking about, the Silber Age sof ontinues tress. eset deintions. “The Ser Age andthe Ancety f fallen” Ini study of what he call cults elation, Gary Taylor bere "Cutest git ofthe survivor. Ils abuys bree, vay to. spective, snes ar wth the present Ror Tyran ele ‘ramplecf the very mechani by Sohich cle sade” was he story Nadezhda Mandela 9-1). Foc any yetsafer Op Mandela's deat np, Nadshda Mandeltany wis the sole cu todianand ntapetr her hurban's post lepcy af hi ein general In Tylor’ bref analysis, Nadezhda Maeltam sceeded npreservinghemerory Fhe dea bahar for poset erie all ‘olds and recessions Would she have bon mor ascsfl had she Ind to promote et husbands pay under morefivrabe condos? ‘The answer spray no Mos ey, her name andthe name of et ‘busbnd would have ben known slit group of pple with 4 developed ate fo great poetry What added tremendously tothe popula of Op Mandela's work and Nadeshds Mandeletam's ‘memoirs was the fat hat they were beth seen as vitins of Sait tere Asrevealed by the contin suteunding the publstion of Emma nin’ subversive and provocative Mo (Monaay 95) eithout the protection of being ee a arty and a nly per Secute person, Nadeahs Mandela could hse been sj 82 severe ects and scused of perjury and amoral hei” In 2002 “Heng Chuboviala published posthumously her raters The ett ows (Dom ot, lengthy ctque of Nadechda Mandela's se ond book of menos, Hope Abed (Vo aa 978)" Wien larey athe late, Te ts Huse ws ol meant fx pbliction Rather ered Chuan ttt veteringation aout Naderhda Mandel unscrupulous appoach a postraying beri Iurious contemporaries suchas Anna Akhmatova Bors Pasternak ed Mall Khari to name bt af. Both Gestet poy0c2) ane Chukomaia ey were upeetthat Nadenda Mander, ‘rurpedthe right ope erthe dead, refused to recognizeany thet ‘euence oa her husbands catty part rma er own, anddichon- «sty appropiate cher people's ides. In 99 interview, Gerstein went even Further by trying to expose Naderhda Mandelstrs at 2 double dealer and accused her and not he Soviet stories, ne would expect of impeding the st Soviet publication of Osip Man- dkltes pote Shed thi acon lo Cert, or purl el ‘Shrexons—to promot er one memos hey achieved mh det recognition, whe Osip Mandela's poetry was banned in the So- et Union nto etal her unquestionable authority ousiethe Soviet Union onal suc related a her usb egy Both Chukoskaa and Gerstein were culture strane snd amar y vocation. Why then di they wat or over weny yearsto challenge Nadshde Mandela's stoves? The newer is cbvious for anybody fade with the ctrl at poli situation in Rusa inthe ges What ok Gest 0 long cameo with er men oirsand hat ade Chakowlain ppc th publiain of Th Pos Howe ndeitely was 3 elfsmpoted mora ligation okep alent hile socal unoficilterature was under alo. Sach eight ned elings feigation onan ots cule along wth ansety both about its les and omaleesence tht many Rossi tellus share in the twentieth centr area od with Harold Blom’ mou pronouncements bout terry sone and aghast ing to oust thee sald frtathers and foremothers. For example, Blom ses th eltonship btn Chritpher Marlowe and Shake speateas 2 poetic rivalry that didnot end with Marlowe's untimely death According Blom’ thery, Chukolala and Gerstein would have selzed an opportunity to topple Naderhda Mandelstar nd fren theiralers and acces to fernaton, wold ve gained fame by casing her eon ofthe pst foe. Howse, Bloom sotherise Alunating theory ast limitations when applied othe cual ‘stuationintweatith-entury Rin ‘Whether we ponder ieplitly r nt,our lationship withthe pasts mediate through 2 et of arate regating it inuence on our resent ftv With waters ad artist general such sees inetcable fam the creative proce, sine nowt te ses ina vacuura an no writer canbe oblivious tothe works of his oer predecessors. Vadim Nabokoy, who wa trou ete abot his actual sures of rpiation and partly loathed beng compared to Desc by the en of is ie composed and sem natal houghhis Song Option a alist ofwrtersthat he hina awn tobe compared. Bloom describe the aide fanart ‘ward te achioementsofhispredeceserss mexplosvemiste of dation, jelous. and "hearse ofnfuence"™ The eis ees tater works not in ede to ees then o elit some special bond wih them, bt in orto “ever” fom them and produce somthing esentily new out ofthis contat. Rusa Mesure was noeaception. The lsc ae tady i Yar Tyo’ hinting exposure Destorski'sapropiation of Gog sleacy in The Vilage Spenco and eases So Spacer ag al 9) By Intentionally recing Gogol tothe wcimied and iting el ofsed writer oma Opell, whose tery andthe influenced not excend the circle of certain eile ol aes, Dose sce fully purged hist fo theburdeing intuenceofhis distingulshed edeceior who wat inadverteily present in Dotev’ early tion. As Boo reminds ws, "Pots are nether eal nor coamon ead ets... They end nota think they ead Ti dead thing inthe postry o.oo, tobe jadcou tobe weak, ands ‘ompar ect and fly sto bent ela... Poet ston ‘ndisingishabe rom pot nfuence, since song pets make at history mieteacing oe nother 08 clea agistive ssc or thers Acalletion of memos by such “rdinay talents Leon Shcheglow, Moshi, lsh, and Eehow offers futher por for lors they, reveling how il seme cectrporain cated aout Chekhov and the preservation of his memory after is premature death nyo." These merck, although not woten to be pblbed sea group apt kindof primordial statin which ented noe thatthe wee nies and werent were na oftheir infevoiy. This was the erry tine when the itera rua te together exchanged anecdotes, ld land to eich hr payed cas, ‘sted monasteries, went hunting Wavle by tain—that i, did oything but write and ed. Mod of the meme werefornate toknow the majority of Rutsian writers ofthe last thid of the ne teeth cntury; however they Eequnty fered to“ get wit” and our esteemed author” prima oul the thought tha this ‘or thi gure might indeed be considered ret, The lof thi ol lectin, Amon he Gr (So vei) undercover this sense af be Ing oblivious to grestes, kindof being los n-the vig wood ewe, wen the somes vebereilyltaced the pliesinthe for th adiction to mystic, detachment from ms ane experiene, and falue to live inthe teee-dimensonal wold, and theses culvated an obesion with he-rea matral wel they did snot ut of pty toward thei declining pedeesors but ‘ipoethe novelty ofthe own ideas ato emphasize tele superior. ‘ay overt fxm teachers Such belo moc le notimeto consider what ws fair and eal, Thun the eal wees, Op ‘Mandelstam—at hat tie himself preparing t awe fom potty ‘oprose—as pri velour ova And! Bey, whom he com edt grande dae, parking in the binding brillance of wer ‘slchaatunism,"and whose noes elitenedtebition pavilions seen tobe dismantled" the gos homes, Mandsstam had changed egtie vw of Bay Ths happened net because bythe ends lie Bly sated tobehave diferent or adopted a diferent way of writ, bl because ‘ee 930 Bly and eveything he too for pretesatonary cu ture thateceved thenameaf the Rasa Ser Aged seated in the eyesof Mandeetam and many otherintellectalsa dint an ‘warty nd eect. Inherit latory review of loos Ansty of nrc, Pal de Man sw one ofthe maar weaknesses of Blom'theory tobe isa asmption tht the pas ad suck a strong appeal inthe eyes ispoet hole, Acndingt de Mi this was “a mere aserton without evidence o ake convincing ™ weve, Russian iteature of the ent century provides ample suppot for loons ston, for Rusan wrt wt nt merely at ‘est to tel pst, they were busily atch to ts presly ‘his bsesion with the immediate cultual heritage, rather than any temps toavercme that tinge the weteh-entary Ru an wes from tei English counterparts ied by Bloom, Although representatives of receeutonary cute wet often elie fo thet responsible gh indviuaitic and hedonistic bovis otecf their merits, ike Nadeshda Mandela, een he them accountable fer the aro of the robes! periods (Open battle with tition was vitally impotence many of ts epresentativs had mt with gic deaths or person by the a ‘hort In sich siustion eae more mpertant opreserve what wasleft than to attack or eel pant im the orto presen the faced a forote, pli revolt agunt the preset substi focartii evel agunstthe past. Writrs were ooking European “elas” Rusia erature Forinapiaton whe adres thle ‘numemus pers thelr contemporaries and pes Inthe}, any ‘sophisticated mockery ofthe early rentiehenty cure dt repreentativer—ch tone can Sind in the eros of A dei Bly or Georgi ano, for eample—was regarded by mest of ‘hel contemporaries decent behavior. Thi unhealthy profibi- ‘Son aginst wring radon, ares tht many ast sem tohave imposed on themsees, rele in the contentions smg> ing of numerous quotations and erences toforgoten or fabidden ‘ames, vent, nd itrry sources ino thelr own wrk atcan bese InARhmston's om Woe Ho (Pas he gr 840-196) Pe ‘era's hw bik town the big novel Decor Zig sas, ‘ee whichawacceson of shore wort bled intel os had ai the foundation, should beconsiderd nthe sree. ta tly ‘nthe midgqo6henthe sve Age started to maketh nto Rossa cute that astern ound posbleto comment iste Sonor in Patera word histone guy int the rodent language of tine before the 7 reouton Russian writers ad typlealy been preceuped with undernining and destbling elu ations Mtr the evolution, they began tose thaselres and were sens the sole bears of calteral memory Anna AKAmatova's ben With! « ir about the rupture betwee the iter Age andthe real che calendas—awenteth century” patculrly notable this spect ‘ven in Akhmatova’ lift, the em was generally considered to be carefully encoded message about the past tht requzed a simi- lay catfaldeipheringon the pa ofthe ede, a amply demon- stated by rany of ABhmatow's scholars anu dies. They de ‘of Mandeltans ethics and sestetce—"tremerben" ane thatSet appeared nis exsays ofthe early ya0e—wn shared to grote orleser ent by many of his contemporaries oth iid andes the Sovet Union" Fr wits lik Vadis Nabokov who state rites ely aferemigrating to Europe, the lego the Ser Ages an umblcal con tha ed them o Bsn trary tration, ‘When something snot remembered it appeas n Dor Zhuge, noel rey devoted to questions of memory, and particu Tay ctrl nerery, Pasternak depicts the llowing stution: The same dy tle ara forgets teal hither inl pj ifthe emilee fe mes vay or the estate where at has be ‘nite to tay wit is uel. Not surprisingly the wor of Harald ‘Bloom wee urkoownto Rai readers ntl ver ecenty. Ad those ‘whore him inthe ros ands3o ike the poet seh Body, ere cleaay tobe by bis pascal teas, fn hit Note oa Com ‘mentan;” Brodsky recorded is own anity a being subjected to Blot ents nomi at ln css sl phason them never psble iy. Thee io ges, Physical. en ysl plese than repeat enya Toad somehoy' ines fear eure oar depen dlse—the deme ofxssmg butt of cate thle wich ‘conto the whole of whch anche et obo pas thison tearoom Cle, Brodsky nas ot aad af engined by his oeihers sd foremothers. As Susan Sontag rclled arth poet's death, “Oveshoud watt please nt one's ontermporres, but nes pede cessor, Brody often declared. Surly hed pense theme —hiscom aot agree hate was his er unig ucesor to Mandela, “Tsetaeva, and Athmatova Raising the ‘plain of regard ase called ‘vas eentlsly ented wih he eflenee and arbitions nd sppropriateeeltesof poets Brady alfimation of his loyaky to ‘he pst notithstandig, bythe lt om, the song sens of meal ligation toward the lege of the iver Age stared to subside and pe my toa healthier curios, mad with rible ony ans ‘sm, hs tend isevident in the wre ofthe socal sada, particulary inthe nove of Ane Blo ao aleser extent, Vat ‘Aksenor The new caval pprosctothe Sher Aereachd it apo 50 inthe writings of ther younger colleagues suchas Sasha Solo, Vitor roe and Vir Pelevin. The sor weet hen the ‘ver gested wingback int the sinstean fthe Rus cl tur ile the 98 enthe:p60s ss compete reintegration. Accordingly the ant fin lence aa theory, both an i strument andan object of ny esearch, In ths, llow Bloor whe lars that any “tong” wor oat alway “the acleved ane? ‘loom emphasize that this taterent trues of whethe the _aey was actually “iternalied by the ale writer” rma tn the ‘ase ofthe wits hone ection to the pst om the substance of yoo, thee is no ned for such acre snce there i much ‘evidence tat hey wee al very mich te (sometimes ply 0) ‘the ong term engagement withthe past. Mote these wie sttempts at concealing he relitonshp with he pedecesors seco rather wel with loos hypothees* Wht gee aboot thet stiles of Paki nthe sens was AKhmato's research onthe wit ‘that might have inftuened Pushkin and er echusbsnd the poet ‘io Gumi. Some of her formulation about Pukn "unser lool” borowing fom other writers everyting he ke (which, scoring to Ahmatov, was the gn of tr geit) long precede Blom statements on strong pet “appropiting fr hemsetex"? By the 0s, Akhmatova had evs er earlier versions ober eae ‘ionship with Gury; rom then on he inte primarily fn light oer ane about is constricting infuence on her work ‘er srugleto develop he own voce GGumilev was one ofthe St vctins ofthe Rothe tro. Athmator 2s sh revealed to her confidante a been ote ever since Gumtles exeaton ny the pul of ot having vedi enough. Ths elng of moral erponsibity for the dead and fee _oten ae forbidden (ome of hors wee nimatl elated oh)madera pret neper ofthe prevltonsy cual ato. ‘mas probably because of tha ult tha he te epened phe Fen tore ther core. erly aston Boy 9.990), ile tor Hofer parodied the Russa tution of widewtood (of which Akhmatova was « moval beacon ad its mst fos representa) ‘hcg his character rin Takano, ho made herby css iso her sraal and textual neds to-anyane who wanted ‘With rina Tuakanos, thle af testa and emetionl chaos tec +anapoge and she comiits sulle Ines if AkBmatov ured oles The waon the Poe was She only wih AK’ Ov death The st yan erie were mack by for her atch i bouts of ansiety about the reception the eo, which she ahope ould spas any other workin quality. ‘Ono with agate Sher Age ad infuens on ater wer Blom model a ob expanded to accornmedate bth ety and suspicion tht its imageha encourage ts varous bell loos Preudian model of Iterry nance is based ona fanily cf to tha, poe bene wantng oid him the nflence ‘ofhispoticfathe (rather nor to prone sell. ut what fa util "father portrayed by neighbors or elatves ae cri, ot convene, aan snjustly precited person? Wht fathers scoala mother? Whit ifthe was no fiter tal or any happening tot into ane poet tha fst abe contecuained and tetulize, Asis wel know, not ony the mean- ing ofthe Belshork Revco, bu vente ep have pond numerous debuts ts perceived tne frame depend on how ne chooses to conceptualize ts ous and outcome. As Shela Btzptick wel Sheree cone a plu arn ho wet soit tn ae ound a dif onthe met be que ose, revainary ss psc on th city ii cuter and event pn ft eto nthe cae ofthe Russa latin, estat pit presenta poten leo the abaton frre Nl andthe eration fe Provisional Conenmest. Bat wh dite Russian Rechte? sia orerby Oakes wheather ok power Or {heed ofthe Reston ee wth Both iy the Cl ‘rina Ws Stalin mao" pat of the asan ie tt he roelancenti hough te ifeime fie Sve ate™ Lifewise ther isno such thing ashe “tue” istory of iterary ee ion, since seconded jerry i in effet of acta group ofbcholes. Do we shape cultural phenomena ot the ajetory of Palltialevents? Or dowenced thee poltcalevens ome senaco ‘he otherwise inexplicable trajectory fell evolution? These ate ‘the questions that attept to answer in chapter 2and Ahoughthe chef the preeoltionary clare wee ot co Sine to iterate and teary crite alone, cance on writers snd terry ves, ther ver ane wor, pir because a have mentioned before, Russian writes f thie une tele Ameria oc Western European counter felt themes tobe card with the pretnation of continuity and therefore wee forced to meat ‘sna tlancebehen cultural eanzenation nd the need to de> velop ther own creative identity, Wh chapters 2nd concern the ‘wasinwhich nite aus by politcal and cual upenals ete ‘managed at the collective level the fie caps tat flow focus onthe varousstatees ued Akhmatova, Neboow, Pasternak, nd ‘itor Erle aeilting the pay ofthe Ser Age into tele ttn My am is twofold to determine the cotbution of hese Spurs to theming procs ai the ame time oases the ecf popular conceptions or misconceptions dout the Ser Ae onthe writing and personal ie Bloomisoften cused of gnovng women write inhi interpe tate semes Some crits Belew hth they afirarynfaence ‘nas meant to apply cly tothe son wrt wth hither, whedaughters were cxcluded_ABbough Tam not convinced hat these c= tert shared by many peta “ve stent mn May of {hs yer Moco nal mp oom cat wa alent ikea ce tery he sly and quelly ected is ld lines abou the Gypy'ssing- Ing sbout love ad abot the Beatifl Lady—thewar a dad end ‘nly death could fellow. And can,” wrote Vladimir Maakoak sppreciatively in icity” Siar descriptions can be found in the mero of Bey, Zamitin, Chiko, aoc, and Gippi, toname butafor Many memoirs chose to concenttate on BK Physical attsbutes by highlighting snail totes, ese and ‘rena a the end during thea eats fthe Soviet eine, Wich the notable ection of Zamitn, who atte hoe ipetients to los poor physic tat and to the hard ving editions that ‘most people endared tthe tine, the jt feminists preeed toinerpret them rstapborclly a sign of o's inability to Fuse ‘ion normaly athe Bolshei-contolld environment” By analogy, eyed that elo topped heaing the us the day Bok die No more msie—Lam dest lk dead heer Swill bea cpple feceer (tha lat my eavng). This was my immediate ection to Bl death (ar tha ost ny epeight al ofa sudden). Howe, espe the great shock that many, lik Bey exprienced when they ‘ea the news, the general consensus wi hat Bk ins wanted to die™ Some bleed ether that Blk intentional starved himself to death or simpy credited hen with superhuman contol ver ls destiny Speaking abou Blok ue tects an opportunity tates: late ther on personal elings. These the resented not och at pessonal sentiment or anaes, bu thers something that they ‘wished Blok had experienced othe hey lt hey ad experienced ot- ete alongwith him. Some people partculatly women, aimed ‘ohare had apersoral bond wii that was zed nt on seaalty ‘butena dep sense of Faternity. One sch person the budding poet Nadethda Aleksandrovna Pavlovich 95-17), according 9 Bey, “for vom eon wis der the impeeston tat [Bok] ie onthe threshold urbe ofa antic [new perig” that he was about toembrace Shee thet "omevbereat reat dept, eveything in- side him hd undergone conidersble ansformation, bit none of lstuends reais, or is wife ware aware ot" Pavoich and Bly, who inbistum claimed tokavehadswigueftenalbond th Bik, took delight in divining together the ext nae of at uesld, “the new merning”as they called it nd teow to enter Blk's lege nthe ight of thee premonitions™ Such Bok-inepred soul searching wis appuently rewarding and digntying to everybody ised. Inthe sme vein, Bey ad nano azumnik revved give up the mourn of Bak in public and instead devote theses to ult contemplation and presen ‘ion ofthe der rend’ memary:"Letour memory about hi man Sestitelin yas of hard work. [ork hat wl ae probably what ‘sl ofourlves” Thiswould inched eral ntertaton of H's otk ae preparation fis biography and metals. tok only thre weeks for thesetuecolbortns to ree he fut of hit plan to become the sale custodians of B's legacy. Tha whether they ied it ont, ely and Ivnow-Razumn had to turn the com rmemoratve meeting ofthe Fre PlesophialAseciation Vola Pectin Asstt on Augurt 5, nto pli ae for sting ou thei postons inthe len thing Blk elated nutry. Bay acer, "No sooner had lok did when fro the rght and ‘om the et—or, nore rece. rm the ight ae fom the ight me started ther al hoeczsl nice whovwnted to mak abun ou ‘flo. oa thoe plan teary partis hat want to make lk appear sone f thei own, we shou tl rom he very begin> ning hands off Boke Inhisasserton that lk was gon abused to suits itp 8 ned, ely was not alone His younger contemporary Vidic ‘Weide also fl hat many memoirs lated comptsin and were notrealy sey fr the deed poe. Intead of posing in slence” and ‘mouininghim ike “human bing they rushed to incorporate Boks eathint thei thee and ietrpretationsof he clr ene" ‘hey had been wourd-up machines" tn fit one ofthe artes that pet Wedlemest opened with naploy fo such insenitiviy "We Wend dena tron Age were ers ve no plac” Boris ithen- tur contene.* According to Ekenbaum, o's death was symp- tomatic ofthat lon Age and what wa eftf the preceding radon was snp going to wither say Moreover, Eibhenbsum wom ‘Blok’ death as a"retibution” and langavated final tothe whole epoch the deine of wich had ben punctathy the death Vera onsisrchei, Mithall Veube, and Ley Tests nso. That was year of loses fo lok an otha intelectsla wexe the lt 08, "but somewhere within them or rior to hem are yess ofits tl ‘unknown tus Life goes on and witht the Retabuion of Histon” Ehenbuum wot inconcusion.® enum weno insti by aur, nr wa he hunger ng fo anybody's death, bu Blok was oo goes station ofthe jc fit ofhisgrcation tobe dosed enti He asa dying profof theories that were popula the ine "Now Blok nly "sda And we te shaken becuse is death apeat toe ota 2 simple coincidence, but preoedained tragic denouement, the ith act ofthe aged that we were all watching Above al, we ae shaken be causeieareconfonte with wo oiciing det thedeth of post and the deith ofaman. Blok, Eikhenbaum inssed, stopped big ‘eatin np I shuld ot be aiuto his memory to sy tht Iislastpublsed books of por reveal dectine of his creative wl Powe which had been stained to thebreaingpinthy "The Wel” ‘Thepoetentied "The Tle" as wellasthae arts in which ok sulted hisattudetoward therein, "were Bl lstate toreconclcontadctions" inherent neil the tenets wich ‘Blok could no shake of nt” Le Ebenbum, year eit leschoseto overlook Bk senormowrliteit out fom nS which inched mumerous poem commentaries on politcal an rary matters, trandations 2nd woeks of pro, tt mention the cops minutes, appeal and esustions that Bok rota mem. ‘bof aus pro Bolshev commision and beonisons. tas ‘natu to discuss Boks creative impotent inthe atmosphere ofthe late pis when publications wee sae and poets were ed 0 te the poetry publ twas time when contacts between writers and their ears became ver intense ad the pubic atched writers ‘sry cll, commenting on every chen the penance, pyeal eal and mental stat of any hen nv. In ther dst give meaning t soil an ples changes, Inca were more than eager to prj his changes onto the ‘ejector of iteary evolution. Ths in his evi for echt rei sa the synbolit Vale Beato ingle out he yeep as. deci ero othe development of moder Rusia poetry. These ere the yas according to Brian when mbit ether ded out one after anther completely lot ther oes. The et, the ‘ets, found themselves outside th mainstream of Russian pty, while the furs, albeit extremely active daring this period, nev= theles wore faced with a ead end, having exhausted thet otc potential The fur, according to Bio, belngedto poets of pee. fart gn. He asad hat nine tenth of Blo’ poety og. ‘onssted of repetitions ad if one counted hs poem "The Tee" (whch Brusov deseibed as “antiewoltonsry in spit’ hiscontr- ‘tonto “the histor of Rusan tate” afer the eotion as ‘inal Another teary erie went eve utter and announcedthe death ofthe Bloian tration: "Dept the huge intrest in Blok and despite wat can becale the'Bokocentrint ofthe erty of ‘modeen writers, lk lt no disciples to master one's otic by Tooking upto ak] would be esa Two years tno supe ng the ea Bias dems), k's death was upgraded by Yur "Tyan to become the harbinger ofthe decline of poetry in geet This industrial jargon of he tine, “The rodcton of prose as been ncesng, whi the production of poetry has ben deessing” hich was why "las death wae aly on nat” And fe pages late, "There are some appointing traditions eee, (Thun ‘reyes, Blk hasbeen ls aad at tation Survival ofthe Unfit “Theveryqualtis that made Bok nf inthe eyes of terry ete dened hit the estsofthe rotor het and there titans Inga, Tots opened the fist espe fis fost Lure an Resin by oberving that "the Bleevist Reston id not overthrow the Keren governent lone [bt onto ‘he hole soc system hat was based on privat propery” Tie ye tem adits mn culture and ts own flea, anditecalpee could not but be the collapse of peezevolationay erate $0 big sth gap that the"pre-Oetber sites and iterate! wl sound 9 ‘heft historian of culture jst ¢ ponders a¢ medi hsary sound "when contd with moder ison. Asemmensensisl 26 itmay ave sere, Tet argument as ar om blo. ‘Thos felts hime, ice he deve s whale bok spport hi sation ht the eohtion had inde vide Rusa culate er ‘seably into it pre and post eter parts Inhistok, Trot slaughred many writers sich ey ho ‘came ofp before the Bolshevik Reaution. Therewas one xeption Alekan Bok "Bok belonged ently top October erate Buthe overcame this nd entered int the phere of October when ie woe his "The Twelve’ Thats why he wl occupy a speci place in ‘hehistory of Rusan leat” explained Bat was iti ing"The Twelve’ alone that saved Blok from Tots anderson? ‘As soon ait appeared, "The Tee" provoked heed discon in ‘he pres to whether Blok was ympteticta the eatono die usted by isoutcome. Asareritonan-eum-Iterry ii Tot ‘ves ery much aware ofthe unresived mystery asocsted with the oem. What seme to be particularly attractive about Blok was his “emey" death within three yeas afer the revoaton, Net lke his contemporaties, otk alo atte Boks death dt to por lia nd social developments: "The convulsive nd pati brea with the whole pst became, forthe oct, fatal upute"* Howeve, hen Titi argue tha he Blabevik Revolution divided Ruslan ‘ure into two distinct ents, be was not onl outing the taj tory of Rushleclral elton also doing something dle, Wht secredtobe st stake wasnt soruch hehstery of Rusa ertire Tout theleptimacy ofthe October Revolution, As Peete Corey subtly beens ‘The Octabr Ration a ugh nd an eel ot by foe afamson theses Maco erinthe alae of fe ‘We Placa Rerogad ilate tn ewepaper ls son peaking ators. Wal tothe ale sina staat symbole ses, poi and settle iran. Thetatl aoe th bod yt he ‘veto tober ay wuld cometo cone” ‘Tetakiaccordingl fel hat the evelatonary nate ofthe October tents manifested itself moet lenin an llonsuming culture Juvenaion; “A profound bres in istry thats earangement of lass inthe society, shakes up india, exalts the ercep- tion ofthe fundamental peoblems of lyre poetry fom a new ange, and oss at rom tral petition." nother words i hat happened in October ity mas inded ¢ revo, then tshould have been companied by a revelationIterated incur. thee eno evidence fa greater up eval, then what happened was not revelation. Thus in debate devoted to the future of Resin iterate ad drm, plight, Antal Gleboy (99-96) sdeued the ea at vrncone might ‘vant speak in 24 about “thea en year of teary evaltion. Suchan idea was “sbsurd in leer’ ees, because ‘elation com- enced in October "nite eet on Raa altars, he lee ‘Revolution was He a surgical operation that ft"many Russian intellectuals dead, thes cst, and some reverted” Clebov hseate hie speech with concrete examples, pointing Vladimie Maiko and Osip Bri who were present inthe aulence) as v= Ing example of euvenaton complete nthe cae ofthe former and “Teas successful” in he ease ofthe ter A Liar debates of the 0s revel, en comes to convincing people about something est ontete anon cbvious nach asthe death cts one nes tobe able to point tothe actual copes of many ofthe conf the age In question. Blas death, allowing hie completion af "The Toe,” smalehiman dealcandeteto sere arsichan co, “Tobe sue Bk ‘snotone of ours” wrote Tos, "bu he eached towad us. Ann doings betroke down." In othe wort, ven "The Te” might have let some readers confsed about the exact the events described inthis poem, L's own death endawed thse ever with fullgtinacy an turned hem nto the evelution prope” Inthe hand of zalousrevolatonaries and their supporters, Blssoon became case study degeneracy Thus the entry on Blok in mcr Bnsepit 930 opens vit Date lg nay sis oF Bla’ medical itor a well that of his entre famy Blk, cording to Blasi, sled fom severe ptholgil diode tha 1h inhertd from spent and eatives Moreover, “one month rior to his death he stated tol is ming." Sich Norse tudes clminatod in Anatoli Lanachasls extended introduction, to Blo’scllected works of 93. Like Blo, Lunacharsk radited Blo with ful ange prychologcal dor snd sabre him at “sbrliant specimen of tefl decadent stage ofthe clus ofthe gery nd gerd burgose who thre the value ef the wore Jan come to detest under the hots ofthe aed the revaaton a lopingtoward an unknown futsre” Howes, snachars stip, “thireolsionary ardor ws tlie: let lok standing a the ‘thesold ofthe reslution in sate of belderent and income ‘henson, exined from the evoaton’s genune march, hse us calitybe didnot undsrtand™ fin the es af the Boles and their supportes las death ss caused by hisinbiity to transfor his into spew at then Inthe eyes of thelr opponents Blk war sen at on ofthe rt wc tins of such taaformtion, "He was wing ty not fr very 685 repoted an anonymous conespondant ois compatriots stsoad, and eas becoming more and more dificult ecgnize ‘hin Lameendng yu thepictr othe decsed on idee. You cansceforoursees hat, postive noone feature of hat charming mage that everybody who bad chance fo kom him emer 0 well mined unto (Bob's death symptomatic a the regime Invehich we areal suffeating™ ‘Any phesvl less the masses with profound sense of is ‘venation, andthe Bolshevik Revaation was no exception nthe stmoephere of potreolutinary turmoil and uncertainty the death ofa fous forty year-old poet in his own bed war apparent one of ‘he ery fey thing thet made senue ores at eat ope sense Interpretation There was hardy lterat person in Rusia who was completely blo los desth and failed fo expres reaction t> {Every repesetation ofthe vet wa atl alhowgh no memo ‘st fale telat tt the Blsv Revelation and it eonsoquencas. "They sy,‘ perished, and Yerenin perished in the sr wy the erie Georgi Adamovch wrote with negation ins." sorry gentlemen, but Blok perished ina diferent wy. Hi existence vas ats, difficult and oh at years, seminomas he i= le, he cds withstand some inne, mysterious not-auiedo Irene “Thecad ofangochand the tartofa new one arly pasrecognised at the tine ar ronson for what they “wee” in ind Sight. Not so with the wo epochs tht cane to compte neds in Rusian culture, The future proponent ofthe Ser Age andthe Sov age edit recognized leks death eth Si dentine tin and asa point of departure respectively ‘While many ater ita hve ben conveniently reads over ‘he cous ofthe tenth any, stents of Blk ad his biog phershavebeen lately constant inthe inconsistency. Blast icswere never shy about das varius aspects of ht peony, ‘isp if, andhe wots. Instead fsmpliying Bk mags, hey celebrates mutfrm character Artie about Blk’ ambiguous stttudeto such notions as "people "Mathcad, an "lve'—not ‘tomato the Blew Revelation wereproducdbthinside nd outside Rusl. Even hist lous admires repeatedly questioned B's integrity, Blo’ natal and "acquied” veratlty might have been espns fr the etensv tention pa toi nthe Soviet Union. Dept the Bolshevik ni intentonfesing the memery ofthe prereoltionary cute, they neverticle uccode in cet Inga hugeepestryf information lated tok andi” epoch, Apparenily twas not the culture tel bt the wy wa represented (oth alts dives, contadictons, and unanoweed question] hat was objectionable them, (The pari from oto 97 has tation sllybcensonasahistory of arias schools, groups andar) omens with the Balser’ subsequent acceptance that monolithic Jey fgues suchas anthe Terie, Pe the Gres, Pushin, Tl, and Stan could cameo dominate the epochs within whic they ld say, Blk was promoted tobecamethe monolith of the peeeoton- sy age Once identi such the very ofthis age aparently brcae more sceplablear versity within the airy i venti pessoal ofthis one man. ‘When Ande Sink "szlled with Pushin” inthe gos and ‘tured hs ies shout Puchkins raters and unscrupulous, hea and stil eased by many fo tempting to dextroy one of Rusia most rece cultural con Sinn’ book wa ed by aay in the 970s and pos if not sere, then a eat eva tion. This would never have happened fhe ad cle wth Bok Ben cue Soviet rites, uch ax Ake elvan (goon), ‘elerated Bes unscrupulousnes ad ably fo eon the most ‘econeble In his 29 review of B's ies fo Nettuno stu, Selvanovei red to dein Blok’ epic as boonging eee ‘oa particular socal group oto x particu cultural enone "Not surpesingy, he caret the conclsion that fly belonged to ether As clr consrut at eame to symbole rupute be. ‘ween wo ajacent cultural en pli epchs Bok append to remain «no-msn'-and beloglag ont of thera pati. ‘he words ev Lozosi "Wah the hlp of pit of eer coupled vith certain perseverance and sleight of hand vet teary cian ‘ceed in producing ether Blk-thermystc, or Bokctheromante ‘or lakhs, o Blk the evince ach new per sonal appeatnesponsetothe needs particular argent ™ In 946 fm he commemorative article devoted to the twenty fith aniversary of k's deat, the wit Nina Beers feta shout Bok surviving int the 1940s. Lie mayer, lok would ave emigrated to Europe, acading to Berbeova, en would have lve in secuson, long way fom the stl anid bust of Resa torial ofces. By shee acient one might have rn nto im at ‘he theater, caught sight of im efing trough book st a Ran bockstor, of happened toa snare meinen casual comer sation Berberow’ sentiments sid, nthe mid 94os her dst transport Blok ovr the watershed ofthe RoihevtkReoistion was in {ac share by any Soviet vt an potas nthe spas athe Inte gos, lok was tegardadas rector of pstevoatony it ture didnt suvivethereoluton Frm 6 cre hebegan > ‘equickly promoted the stats of he fit postrevltionary pooh pari the celebrated, ostenshyrevlionary, poet Maiahoski ute appropriately, the organizer ofthe memorial exibition inPushes Dot in enngad proudly played copy fA Claud ‘evar (Cbaov hen personaly sig by Maia that once belonged to lk As wll eee cen rom my dcsion of ‘he eatttion of the ier Age, the ajo oft perception bythe plc coinided wit theconeyponding developments tenis. entelemants chs theakeady Hotishing Blk rlted indy. The Russian Silver Age IIS MAKERS AND UNDERTAKERS ‘otra titres concession tego ary vee toch een ene econ ry det att bps de Mateos tsa cr bo ses fe bone ‘nds os cy by one a oa yf her re Diagnosis tal ies hat do we know about the Ser Age To praprase Maina ‘Tietaee's famous statement about Pushkin—"The ft thing leaned about Pushkin wa that he was illed™— ‘heft hing that teamed bout the Sve Age as that had ded. And Iwas etalon. cultural hte, Vitali Sherali lamented in 998 The siege otf goteeguihe, ob eet tot lntothe doth belo had ide tl among tethesom ‘helumcieafhitn Annem though avort har an Asifthe lame poton bat ot orallynfnchalsong.— What thapon wh tay ceed tis ‘wank thay Th yee pe witht xcber pea ith at ones ne hie out Sve overated with ano tw we de ‘alin to hap" Howes te fic apnseso fhe wars san cco tert bert with te ier ge credo pea ong Sefer thereto The gs alte ete Crt Neepo- infeed in aa ftp eater bythe work of hax Nery, pt ety fhe neous pei het thea yf Rana atta made earn to tla sees Acodng to Nop hn isa msg nee shot testy ort osc tao foment ome lon dlenpopesandnthhunmind Lethe te {ie ofthe coef ect ean, Nope cued modem ‘tebe anointed tem fr fe ling setae nlivinmenstyan ectennt? ‘Nowpoli nthe nite wo ld he plo Noda thoy ht sikh epoca shold acing Theft anti ore fou ly Erg lh, Dts i Rai, Yc re spp in ands pri yen te fe aa toc Semethonisttel inno hat Neda rk adlongeen men aad Resin ead’ sk nla fewar tropa Rann itn of Nadas ec work hich a bled in Rr nage thee inode Zine Vengo Nokona hap imputation Rosen eyecandy, Verge lab thi Akin Wi cic Ro Sg hen stthebemingohi care frisbee fie” He wed ht Sls weld expe + "adil ce ‘hogs tht "obi dead, temply tr weld ie etl wt wih oy le Although Nona completed Entartn befre Rusia fred ml had had tel chance to blossom, his bse aspumpion ented numerous supporters in prereolutionsy Russia, His ides were ‘tgcy embraced by such diverse people as Ruta Marx, "ee mer" ntletuals themsches, conserve ccs like Novel {nd Sementiowki and Lev Tol, who nade simaly dyspepic ‘ronouncemnts ss Whats (Chet 858" Thus, ‘his intoduction to Entry Sementhovki commended Noes fer his puelyscienticaproach omen csture and fo shedding ‘wef light on many previously incomprehenable phenomena, “Ait {urnsoutslckesttand thinks hve be ang so ch pple ‘with the public Because the publ al const of sik nd sls” Sementtaw appreciative conte” In 1908 Ruslan Marit (among them Lanachrski, Gorky ‘Stow, Fiche, nd fushkeich) ale joined fore netting the Russian modernists Inaseves of halebake tiles wth he uy {ng Deompston of mare Ltt rag, they sed to ‘xpeethe shortcomings feontemporry tery worsby once aun ‘east the main indings of Node anal ac bly ac oomleded fiom Europen 0 Rasta? Accodingto the Mares ics the futur of Russian modernism ws ily predictable they expected the whole monementto di oul more epson tha lites ‘The Russian Mais wee not alone. The pi calletion Whe Going The Preaena the Fee Raion ligt Lert nd ‘he Ar (Kuda my ide? Nascar ie, ere sus featured responses toa quetonnae pat ogee bythe publishing house Zar Despite thr difencs in age social bcground, and profesional ring he respondents wo fndaded tts tora, philosophers Mears theater dete, and pecs in sociland behavior cences, pve agency neptvapralsl of thecuzent poltclandcalurlatustion, bam,Ingltatre andthe art, together with he politely int and nept papal, foresding sito destitution? In “The Rewvlutin fA Vali Decadence and Masia” (reeotanka kh tennove detadenttve mtr, ou) the cleat tear historian Semen Vengeor defined medernis as “sorting fanciful epics, hy. andat the steve eau Interertng nd often profound inte apron teen othe areas ‘hat pre realism has left inthe shade Despite at fase" seth, the Literature ofthe Ser Age was nevethles imbued ‘vith he oil an political concems oft time. Like, compar- ng Russian moderna with ther European counterparts, Vengeror treed ha the Ruins were fr more engaged with he secopalls cal struggles ofthe day" Lke Marit, many epresentatves of he scale Siber Age wee longing fer eal changes in human ace andthe soi onder, which they asocited nots much with politcal ‘vot with the ctv potent of human beings, mast in to areasoFhamn asia and lve"* Although semingy =po- cal through hel wtings the teat ofthe rereohtonary pod ‘canst othe general rod of enetienaty dluoenaion, and isstsacton with he present in shor, arevoltionaty mentality that ula served to urbe the pas ofthe ef," wes Bernice ‘Glater Rosenthal "Despite teie concer er redo any eis tended autapian extrem that escheved compromise sisted on the hopelesnesof parliaments... and denounedalleanstitations sia. Aftero05 special art featured mystical and apoclyp- ticthemes. Revolution was ele in pty, prose and muse: ts “inthe an thar intensiyng he tendency to defer sitions, ost plecemeal fom, to walt fr the eouton, to dest. rather thao tl" “Thegesrewhuton and its aemath prompted various reva- atlonsf the Rusan intima end ofits contsbution 0 Rusis polical and soci ie. Armong the mest notable was the elton ‘Spots 505th ete eens by ch prominent erry -csand philosophers Nill Bera Mia Geihenzon, Ser ‘Bulgakov and Seren rank Inthe ey 20s, Berar woul ci Py wai the min theses this grout hs tine sing mt ata and wtersraterthan he intel ogee Furthermore wht the Russi people ws flr ea that ature shoul ply secondary oe delay and de seve the fal fsocal improvement, an idea that became pry prom ‘tuner Stata fest arta nthe Bolahevi ation ‘ot inthe oso 30s but as eal 83905. n-PatyOngeeaton and Party Literature" Patni nga partis eter, Lenin contended ‘nay withthe opty tur nay th th Superetten ‘helt engi shatbacmeprenprd tea. consuming tk ofthe lett shoul" wand sce" of sn pa sexo hot in sony the tal concur vangunde we wong es The ey enero ac an egal pute ‘engin well pinned. and uated wk the oc eocate ae Between 00 and st uch an extreme aprosch, a welas the ‘sitcom and the berating of modernity, was nly cane of wiht thinking among the many extrordinary dws being expreed atthe ‘hoe Inthe late ps this wshfal inking stared ge way ot ‘ders for the compulsory imitation ofa prescribed canon, The ne ‘ttatonalizationof his teary canon, lower, ws ected ‘he cary ost a marked shitnthe general artic pececpation fromthe inner sphere the socal phere The sift marae elt ‘a mmerous projets in which artist wilt collaborated wth he fect at As Ratan jlabsn, acontemporay putt ea ‘voation “isnt so mach a question ofthe dippetance ofertas ements and the emergence of others ait is question of isa ‘be mutual lationship smong the dete components the sytem,mother words qustion of shifting dominant Theft hat by 92 the dominant ad ale eid ixeocably was succnty ob served by Viet Busy ina article on te tte of san pty for ‘he journal Pha’ restaela "We ae nt ting ete bot he te ‘luton ofthe poets ales, rather were refering toa compare ‘valuation of pets contributions daring diferent periods Tt the dof the nineteenth nda the eng he tenth centres the works of symbols had const teary ilestone, then ver the last ten yersthey haven secre a iiographil cries, sone of which—alas!—eveked hinge that we had ead bene" Bt ‘ov echoed Bors ikhenbaum'sasertationsbouthe cbt of ‘Blo earlier writings: The latest olctons of Blk, uch a eon ‘he andar of Bygone Daye 25 graphs deel ened ey More ng Sib war hate appearance of being published posthumous ‘They were received with bevlderment. There was nothing in thers that many ed cometo expect ater the publication of The Tae. No ew dine, Old oboe poems writen fmm 89 to tht were ‘cluded fom prevouspublestions Even ther very les were ana ‘onic Asif ok had been ales des.” Visions of Mk dead or ‘ie crete became widespread throug he poems of Aktion, Toveaea, Kur mina-Karavieva,Zorgente, ad other as ety ab 199-391. Such ions, apart fam bing informed bya certain ier axycan, ae symptomatic of rantnal peti when ee claral ‘edition epliced by another. Apparent, salve eae ne site sch a tansition an workout new aesthetic pines wile ‘coming the lacy "den abhor ae hand the ane or ‘ving one. Crain, many weiter who were active ting the ther Age continued writing for many yee aftr the evolution, bt thet sty ellos acceptable aesthetic nm Thiscan be ee nthe ovewlringy negative esponse—both inside nd outside he So ‘et Union—to the belted productafthe Sr Age sch a Mita minster TT rang hgh chee ane a3), Ande Bly ater ov and memo, andthe early warts ef Vad Nabooy Deathand Postmortem ‘Although inthe sos there were ley sgn thatthe asthe" or thestver Age tradition would eaully fade rom he iteray sone Uasisnothow tsclsurecameto be membre. This wa largely tothe catastrophic shock that as impresedon the Resa poplace ‘bythe October Revolution. In thea sos the lng propia ‘elomalaposalypo turned into somber nan staph Alder and depravity the death of sitet” cull tadion as olonge jst a metaphor, but fact of every life Ether Ruan "doers" telectuns were telly dy out on ac antics o they fed the country o were forced to emirate inthe ill pa, A ne contemporary puttin, these people mere the keeper of cl. ural tition, te only corned thatthe present gonetment hs been expert... in abundance and boi rec of charge = The human cesoures ofthe Silver Age mere not the oly re sources tobe put avayby the mid soe. The Bolshevik Rewoation shock hore institutions that hadbeen esponible forthe peers tion of eontnuty andthe tansmison of eit tadtons sich thechurh the schools the fad the ate. Partner many stats periods publishing houses, bition hall, spartinenta, buildings, estates, restaurants, cabaret, theater, and even ete lis—al hat a been aca with the Silver Age a hat coe stituted ome kindof repository oft cule soon change beyond engiton, top fonctoning cr cease lexi. Sls blnes Shakunstvo would be one of the fst etts tobe destroyed te tng pean and St, Petersburg would change its ame tice wth stxyearsto come thecal ofthe alsovk Revlon” Although the yet 97 and, paratype ya of Saks and Gumlle's deaths) were neatly recognized by many the los ofan enti epoch in Rusa cure not many poet ha tine sit san ieprablelss. Moroes hen he Bolsheviks at eampaiguing gant thecltralhrtage of thei pat "her iconoclste slant was infact shed by «numberof inlet,slewho wereby then greatly dislasoned wth Russian erature and «ule, Blaming lie the writer and philosopher Vast Rozanoy, forleadng to general confusion and unrest. soning to Roranoy, ‘Russa iterate n term of man theres as “sch thorns ‘hing because was tritionally “preoccupied with ony how they Jove and what they tallad abou” nti of guitng ad edueatng people nbs gi-tgaoetres elered in Moscow fr students ofthe otra Alademi, phlsopher Nii Beier acesed theca ofthe nineteenth and eary ent centries fo pang thea to “he crisiof humanism.” Modemsrt, accoding to Bede, places Fhuanity is the "greatest objet ar” by tearing mat pees ot ‘ern hi with and dissolving hin he ateril wok ap ent inthe psitings of Paso on Ane ely’ Peru's Modern tists undergo bouts of “ease impotence and ey ‘ofthe more whclesome periods inthe history of human culture. ‘Mano lngerhas wing. Hereachedthe en ofmoerisory by bing deeply datusoned, damaged, agent, and cretvel ex Tue." Hower, a pei etre of usin culture, ecrdingts Bein that itreached tdci without pusingtinough he tae Renaissance experienced exer by alotherBuropean cultures None ‘hele, Bede sid, the lack of eceteultaralenaisance hate ‘beret isnot othe daadvantage ofthe undercvized Busan people snee—tnore than Westen people who ar attached tthe ‘tril world—they recognize there usin and can Bid 2 ‘ay ot. tn concluding tata olen age dawning fo Rus, Be inv one foes with the Marts, fr hie cultural enissance os ‘ells ther golden em of communiam were expected oocut inthe Immediate fate, Vigan Vigtantes Berge’ sharply rita atitde toad the ese ofthe lnned ste past was shared by many other revisionists who attempted to cooeptulize the devastating experience ofthe Ober Revstion ‘the gn, Ths nis novel The Ser (Sary, gta, Alea Tost paints an unflattering pete of clr an pot fe Russia between 05 and sp Tost characters ae alleen bt Sllepopleoogng fer thecleansingapocayp orate foramuch mor radical development ofthe sexual revotion. Inthe oping section of i noel, Toi evi and dsbunks the myth of Peter ‘burg a mysteriously pernicious and hated pace, a dea enters {ane nthe works of many representatives the Sine Age Ista, ‘shows thatthe problem wth Ptsbirg and withthe whale Ras. sty nheindolence and eomaption fering cases ania the ‘nesponsble behavior oft infects, bo indulged themachesin smatticialyaestheicized fesye World Wie Land the Ceaber Re luton are presented as a punishment wel dese bythe dusted lasses for ther mishandling of pla nl soi sitstions Although he wothis oe in Bern inthe heyy of Europes, ‘modernism, Toto demonstrated unexpected loyalty to and ity with he Rusia ais tration, partic with the works of Lev ‘Test tis ot foratous that Aleta sympathetic character, isnamed van ich who ler became a prominent gui the Ra Any) Le Tol’ famous baracerfthe same ame ("The Det ofan eh” (Sec rans Wich,” 56), hough nhs dated, ‘became tray transformed hurnan bing by cesng to tink eal 1yabout himelfand instead stare oer for other. Alek! To sti plntakingy copied numerous dacussons between his heroine Dasha sd an ich—jncuding the guessing of wordy the i Jeten—from sini pisedes Between Kity ad Levin in Ley Toe sto Aen Kae ia} * nlite Alte Telteter works, The Sts canna pect: both authors, evel eto the deme ofthe whole rnvemet. Bolted Buri and Reareton Amu py atic, home, rarely ncongruus with the newly verging nage ofthe iver Age a was Khodssevcs Nepal, It flows fom hisetes that Khost bg contemplating wring is Nepalis aly as Otaber 6 Howes tk him over tele yeas toni ebook. Asone crip, va the lack fest ‘materia that topped Khodasvic rom accomplishing has mach scone * What then was thi mrng materi? Top it bluntly: he eed the dead bois of his immediate fiends ar contemporaries. Inconrastothose wh, le Bede, confined themselves tofertune telling Khodaevich chose he moe practical ole ofa ott con- eed with burying the corpses net clare. Inthe Rusia aditon, ates Mereshkvei wae the Sat to stculate the es that anew ound of Meraryevlutlon i mated byacual deaths of clturalSgures. Despite Merechkovsis ti sap of eeting a ather luted boundary betwee theo” and “ne terry tations inhi programmatic work Eka Companons (snes 288-27) ng01 he parently ound iesesy to daw deine ine betwen the vo. Thi watered, according to Mercthkoski, was exactly pail 9 what happened in 88 the arf Dowtoerki’s death and ofthe bepaning of Tole’ llega tticImpotene In 7 Ande Bey echoed Mecho in his ‘say’A. Chekbou” in which he deca Chelhov'sieraylepcy asaforutou combination of yim and elon whch ving, contmporry as ben abet achive, hile insisting that Che's death ha matlad “he completion of a hole epoch in sian it erature Zina Gps, who di not share Bl’ adrtation for ‘Gath, in903 kad the Moscow Art Theater toa ec gne art” and compared is performance to “etavagant burial serine" "ht ae place “amid the chee austin ofthe auene™* Not sxprsingy, when Gippus needed to debe Brits ns ie compliance withthe Bolsheviks, she sls declared hin deed bth sa ‘man teingand poet eo dd pial athens ois cent pesto Boh Ro, eit ach melee cone i end ‘sa enon dead fr mend te may fans Then be no "neting betwen andre oneth Sol aod Sire eda po. 1th rata and ged ‘teoulthave eeothet fer ae who dou to iey isbn of pty whet ony babu nt ute lesan rma, ht, ite raz © Inhisescton to Gippis' ey, an emigre tt, Ande! Levenson, ent cven farther in ampitying the metaphor by suggesting that cosy’ latest wos reminded hin of the dead bodes continsing ‘ow beards and nas, hes fein them has long ane goe a= ‘Whuethe reading public had bon adequately prepa othe appearance of such olstions as Nerpl, Khodaevis problem, vs tht he had to walt, perhaps too long, fo acta comps before he could scomplih is grusome tak. While inst colltion of ‘enuf witlen and erfilly hove obituaries would have bet ‘welcome contribution fo the numero neptive eappesials ofthe Prererautonary legacy in py such cllton was leady ce snanachronis Thus nthe fst review of Naropa frend and ‘drs, ust Mande sham lth ned to defend both the tile (hich andes himself ound “config” and Khoder spproach tothe writing of his memoirs. Contry tothe mesape lidinthe tie of his colectin, Manel stam insted, Khodaseviehfor Bs tak a esurecting th preceding cultura tason and not Laying itt et. Tagicly the “ea of thecal epee ‘Set Ages pct bythe premature dst of ssn os ‘onent Khodstevch died within few month ofthe publi of Nampa ‘What th hrth as, Mandel dans radingof Naot as ‘nagrecment with even newer stg of epropiton of le sin wom hina the ytholgeal ef agnl hap aed poe Best as pin ete as ving ocurred nthe etn on This tea was developed by the very same Nika edie wh hed ‘elnin ing stot theemactonet ela nintenth deep ‘rate ceotry cls Aled by het had greed {be pecoltonan curt tine af et nlc dp tualextement."By thee soshe had farther promated thee {othe satu oft oly anatite, but alo pas and spel rszaisane "Apparent; the neticth anniversary thee Revaltin in yy was allt once ented by many a apein ofc ‘return tothe prervolationay past.” In Pere Now's ters ene mound tine tht the Sher Agha sopping ken ego, «land wis beginning tbe perceived linden, besane ne ero long: ude moni, stings inch rorya a ‘eal pertof veda experince"In ichasttuatonnbesrpe mea ‘portant to peseve what as left thant atacko eel age tn the 308 ay Russian intellectuals cue to ee and ane te ‘Ser Age anata the Bolihevis forts intruption = Ths bas chattel for hein and suaining served defend itsegcy fer the advent ofthe bocih Bole Mochal hi wes: ‘histone tomate amet cate strated nttomucht ‘Bhs pena dite feather pe (uma) tae "2k fling fsponsblty the it of Rua te ‘ok ndeotod hath Ruse essence attain he ‘etry had comet and at heel oe deco ‘stash that behinsel thet wr at ae otlehadben ost befreithad vented The lay of he St Age Ronen dense thatthe name Sve Age was utd to describe certain periods in uit pty bask {nthe itor and even sis. Moreover a that time the label Sher ‘gw wsed by vanow-Razummie in reference othe recon hallo ‘egies and the early s20sto dente a period ultra decine* Fano Razumnlt’ statements should not come a total pre ‘Norsboul tbe paral surpising ht the rane Sve ge mer ‘Preserved but econcepualized few yest ltr o ma «pe of ulral vital. Such comity, according to Charles Covey and Bary Schwartz, i oly to be expected if clive memory sew. uc Tha nil von of the ther Age asthat fa pevind sched with decadence and ar-orar sake aesthetics hain fact emetned Intact. What changedwasthatat seu subsequen recon: ions he Ses Age ese est of character nation to ‘he old ones. Among the mot important was astengthened view ot "sinerock destiny withthe Ceabe Revalution. Of ese the er Age andthe evolution havelng een sens itecnnesied ome. Hower. ifthe Slr Age had one ben presented perog ‘he road tothe revelation, bythe late sggoit was rcharatred ‘ving been inated bythe elton. nthe wong the iver Ages oen referred to a “the Rusia welt foxeen “fetched tobe niece ‘The fac thatthe end ofthe Silber Age came to be asocited ith political uphenals pve rset the lng lasing popular bale| | | | | ‘he “unnatural” couse of Rus cultural solution ls expect couse thts the continuation ofthe Slr Agent the gs and 29308 came to be "remembered! shaving been rut ered by Slshei-controied socal and pli developments Ths iter _retaton gine prticlr prominence ong Russi inlets ‘erding inside and outside the Soviet Union, and it encourage, on ‘he one hand fons of moral esponsibility fe the preservation of ‘he prerevatonary cultural hectage and, on the cher, the dese to ‘rtinie and evaluate hi cul erage ad rita "acount er such abrupt changes nthe representation oe revolutionary clr, we Beto ask what happened othe nage of ‘hispid nthe ser and po tat later nt oly redeem the ‘ys ofits vriousbeholdes,butaleocoverditwith patina eapect sndadmizaton Asha shown, nel ty yet the orl pe “epi of preteroatonary culture undeswent a crcl tana ion twas no longer pected by Russians either "hc ean invepal pat ofthe Rusian cultural heritage Adit wast ualiy of srangene” which the Saber Age rplyacquted inthe eyes ‘wary that was ulimatl response fr i leat mint red covet and subsequent gration. Ax Mikha akin perceptvely observed,“ the realm of aur, outidenes is amos poner torin understanding” We might add that “outsidenes” salsa the ros powerful factor that itis the esto of cll meio. ‘The fact that wenty yar sindead nextel shot pei wth "ego cura history bcomes est mera how many yas (centuries, to be more rece) tack forthe modern wl a ede ‘cover ancient Gras, fr the English to edicover Shakespeare, fot ‘he Brenchto el the ge to enue oa ofA The ain function of what have ald the Siher Age call institution nthe 20 ands thee, sna to presen but rg the cultural pay ofthe prevevotonary period and to push it ouside the boundaves of Rusia culture. As is often the cave, both destruction and preservation proved ob highly benef for the eration of eltral memory an not suggesting thet Asie, Ales Tos, erie, Khodasevich, td thes had ee vson of hat hey ere doing o thatthe ere conch inven some lecly defined project. Lam merely pointing ot that thee negative epresentations ofthe Ser Agen the on and gps conte, ‘he longrun, tothe itimatepeseration of cull memory about ‘hispriod. Fnohing os, they sete nan erasure ofthe pst it lle people to beter emace ht sne past inthe tureTo “Room of Her Own” ANNA AKHMATOVA'S TENURE I sovier cuLTunE he Sallie rpc cpat ohn a, roma padi he la ar wot The cole, wl, proses vw gaa and rages foriodng ont nana sbi chong f ‘hot at ie Sven rms cnt thie Steers ait Sl wg cnr Korean andr ann cate, expen anton erences on ornate ‘hc at nf yar ders nore ‘nd org ot Sala an paneer an ond pio pp “visa carols” (Aaa wotl oye ‘eons of many often ames individuals one can lode tec contbations by outstanding Ruan writes, cha Anna Abhmstoa, Bors Pasternak, Vadim Naboky, nd Viktor Efe. a: he ler Age came int being a esl the colle ‘These contbutons deserve closer examination, While continuing to far onthe ao, the ge andthe early aos, move em the publiarena to thepitte space of Anna Alsto's communal ‘partment. The gps marked an important stage in Akhmatow's evelopment poet and in er understanding of herein Soviet. ‘esky, Ding thse yeas she went hough pried of extended po tical, experince change in et personal if, and seed the ashe that eel many Sov people daring the Stalin purges rom.say on, Akhmatova ved with he aly of hr hid husband, [Nikola Nikolaevich Punin (88193) AEhmatovs comple st ‘sand if ta gern Pui comaminlepttinent ected het ety ain age pt determine the unique form and maf tations of her ans in repatdto brmumedit predeveaos a famous comeporsi. Aes of Commanal Apsstinnt “lade been unfalflbacsuse he prefer another woman? Noe ad made no comparisons, o choice... Now he wis crushed by the ‘weight ofhisguiy conscience. "What nest? He had sometines Wor dred, and hope wretched fo some nposible, expected ecu stances to salve his probl fori” These famous ins rom Dao Zhiay cou eal have ben writen by Bs Faster to descbe "as anterporary the celta art atorian and criti Nikola Pani, Among ethers, Anna AMnatoa expres tong doubls bout he viii of character sacha Zivao ln elf, but ical he recent eeae of Pris die and eters sho tha Zhivego ie character existed win er own intitle" [Notorious Pisternakian chance happenings and coincidences shounddin Pni’spesonal life He came acquainted with Nat Gaile and Athratoa lng bef he lin love wit the ate, & missed opportunity that subsaguenty bec the ube of sertiny And the source ofeeoah ix Aktatovss yes Inge unin wa ‘ested a the same time as Gua (and onthe ste charge) athe ‘wo men met one anther in pion. Pun, bowers, was on ofthe ‘very few tobe released ft i chosen spate ht and rat him anoter chance tobeors completly sitenby Amato oly A year after his rest. Pin wast lve though yet another tetslong with the purges and thesiege of Leningrad. ews otto ‘oul Stalin hel, deri his third aren confinement, labor camp in Aber’ Like Zhivago be ded unexpectedly fom what ls thought to hevelbeen sear stack, not in Aigust gba ne _gustpy Like Zhvago,Puin lost smother ataneary age anda enchant for developing entangled elatonshipe with women. 1Rivh Anns Akhmatova thatheapears to haven thelist geet and most cig, He woshipal anced people nd unlike ‘Allston! previous husband, Viadini Shit, who had bos no ‘oxouly jelous of her wring, in wie psp when she app ently stopped wring pety in autumn gx "How I ove ery ‘woe at cup the now the dy She writes quite unconscious vas with het and once aga lt that Ihave ben ives ey tle ‘reat... (Anna as stopped writing vere, Why What dest ‘mean, bereits ben aren aur and scarcly slagle poem? she says isbecause of.” Despite i evident entity and compas son for ther people, Punin wa often responsible or casing he ‘mich pin jy. Hs oabilty to break wth those he once loved (aeaing ently understandable in an at collector) rele in is bringing together sever ncompatle people inorder toledkthemsp within one conmmuns partment the fom Sherer Place (ot the Fountain Howse readers are efit wit dated produc f Zag’ lf, wih an epdogue tht conveniently separates his compte and imperfet existence frm is artist gay it ecame Pun ite to rerinbuved under the rule of memeie shout him fr many years A is ary shows, Akhmatova once old Pun that he knew and ‘understood er eter than she ae hers Aad yet yer Pain nas cast inthe mod of the uncaring companion of = rest poet ha 's Abmstor) ona pr with he other resent rica pout, inching Natal Niolaevra Pushing, Lube Deities Blok, snd Ziad Nikolaev Paternal. I amsry 935 Ema Gere, Akmton'siendwho was nove wither son, wets Leningrad ‘rk in the archives, When introduced to Pin, Geen “managed ‘mest toadopttherighttone wai. nherwo"Avacthat 2rewasunbeliably stig, realize ht had tsk him somehow, and sowie he invited meto dinner an ake what would oest ‘Tondered dishes that were an extaagance st the te (mong them pork cutlets) Geri attended numberof ay stern wich elie plenty opportunity to study Pais howhol ‘Thee ety, Live et th iy Ae ae ae Punn hewi AncsYgeiea hl dag, Abana td orale Game. lnandber rth sat one endo Uheveylng table wth yo an ae tthe ate nln, ‘Ana gens woud prey own alga of wae end ony ke ne hrt.aterscve ret inberl ss oie. Onaneer scan hte wi, tka es Ane ‘ergs anounced: "Who he ng ate, ot non" yon and Abn tind tone. or seve minutes, cue nthe but 0 poudand fend oe, seeing inked bya sete... Ding oe oy vate ‘eryaimsted Pe aka dain. Adhof cv ee fovea begin Allwe tse temste i! yo” sind Hens not igh tatty wt, but "apres Shatthy nl gether and pat to much thc ples Pain bad aslo upon. Wie ‘icandisdomasti demas the fie Nol Pun a ie noe ste een? ersten wt nt the only onto commento these rae tionships arnong the various ldges in Pi pte. Sila marksonthefcultandsereimes unbessetuation Aisa {ound hersf in after moving in with Punin abound in accounts by Pavel Lalit, Nadechda Mandela, and Lidia Chukar, ellasincheromoisf other vistors nd dite, Bess ll iat, 2 Akmatova heel eveaed to Lidia Chukokla ago, Pani and hist throm that Aton shed wth him fom gat gyre not conde to wring ptyStange ed th Mel Ninh oolong it hd ‘dedi Buta Speed tht ane ne shegth tole ar vet w case adit ey poste hte yer stink tite ea! Teds ga Silent poeta etme sro Bu Ns Neh ek tose anda hat farm y tying lenges mater fet death. See beled i gee nd st gn om Ltayl* Novatel when Aktnatova pated wth Punin ns she simply lefchis study and moved int the farmer nursery. Dept see tempt convince er tomave ut, ABhstovs wander ‘ay? Her unitingnes to move may be explained by her atachment to thefomer grandeur history, and cental lection ofthe Shee «tice Foun Howse her regular ne, er el-dacuinered ac of domestic sil and the endemic housing ers fn Leningrad bat ‘nly in prt n January a0, Amatova jie the Sore Wet! Union which lowed Aleksande Fade, the unis erry. pe. on onher behalf and get aspaate rom fo er, She was als gen state stipend pi nd was invited to publh er post so vietpevodealsDesptethe oer of auch arable eto ths problems hmatora chose to tay with the Punts snd contnead ts re with her into dient places lange the forced dept onthe Steemtiey Plc, ntl her deth in 966, Bythetime Akhmatova moved int the omer ney the Pu ‘inshaost part of their apartment to another far, he atmos ‘hwo smal chen, With inadguste wall patton, Abhatonat ‘ucts wereoften cpsedtothe noes madey the dunn Sor erty hissing one ofthe boy In August 99a Aldmato ead ‘© Chukovskie her new poe, “The Neighbor fom Pity Might Go ‘Two Mls" Seda halosti—da bale which nan dy nei by her crude surroundings and bya remonition af ber own ath. Chuo wat deeply moved and mre a tims bility totu“acospit ofa comsnnal a” ino ssoletin antec ‘ng funeral hous” Lie Lidia Chukowsks, other memos ook ns to undrsie AEhmatora' une bility ore sbove hrc ‘onment. vail he eed eithable elon the face of unbelcnbly pti opposition, which ony enhanced Aktion beauty anc hr egal behav “Lik atthe tnt Neney A denen sss Akhmatova sew ene at having a oction tht qe her thera ive on the charity of thers or to po with She Consol entered the Panis hash in the ueabe postion ot depends. ‘These recolestons and intepettions speak mort thir au thor general gst withthe communal patent a2 Soi st tuo than to Akmato sacl elatonhip wth er rounding, ‘The cts cei of «omen epurtment presented Ahmatows witha set of sratepe peste tht she exploited oat the sities she apparently exerened fm tu, the period she found est conducive t weting pty One obvious ston ast Putall theism fore seemingly neypisble create its on inand his entourage, However this simple explanation, which most oer friends ike Lis Chuva, ound satisfactory nthe ate #908, dd not sound convincing nthe 50, By the, her dein private had become lal ieleant for poe afer sare. In general ew rites’ hems eben acne 3 dh one tiny and have eft sucha complete esr as Atmatovas et the in tect relationship between hee deine andthe elu work of tng deserves further examination an explanation. What ast shout Pins sty that enabled ARhmatin owe es petting sanalyes of Pash’ works hee but ws the seme ti thal herowncrestinty! Akbnato was not the only woman writer wh el lent ‘nid-are Jane Ansten was ent fr ane yeas lle by very Productive ered ding which he wrote het atv novels. “This long siece,n the mile flatly hort fe Bewdering® ‘Carlie wrtes "tesa alec tha drives a wedge between erfit te sir novel and er fl ee: Mansi Path, Ba and Persuasion. The lence atk question about he How of ae Ase ‘The exh or andthe acquisition of oom of er own wa not ont asym gesture for Lubov'Ditivea. ta the midcones ‘elitv vsted her when she was saving her apartnent with Boe funts Mata Andrevims Beketova (s2-1938) “At that time” hee ‘stor called, "the ena of ror was divided btncen te ts of them: on Lib’ Dmitrieva’ sie, vetything nasser ‘oer work She was wing book about classi dancing andes ‘ving ballet lessons to dancer ofthe Kitov and Maly theatre G Ksllovs,NDudinsiaa, Chaba, andothers Alle fsa {teh beenemoved from the ror and large iron and ballet Pate bar had been installed The ot untouched ite and nce ‘Alaa Blo’ couch with his porta by Tatiana Gippis over it sndan ania chinon the for nai. Ten yeas eats hoses March ay Lidia Chhoti father, Kone! Chika, oboored 1D Blk desperately earhing rab {ser ibv Dot Byte... ers rng {ebepoor tan she actualy iota orshe eine Pov Awd eile fice ii th tee sang te nese Kabch he Comet prog ‘Unig Coto of Sha) tein, one {ult frmthe ech The widow fone athena tes ‘Ruan poche "Bat Lah-and lo Mees duo > ‘Ayers Chukowsi recorded another necting wis Lisbov' Dal ‘ea. Dy ther he postion ad improved, but oly emia "g iy ago I sro the Beau ad Liubov’ raters Ho onthe acase of Gosedat the state publhinghouse She werkeay Gosiadst a prostender bigoted or fe yeaa orman, Out nthe landing fora smoke. Slike ees. ing across hee foeheed Batherng withthe roofeades™ Athough Chuo wept Covell when he hed of k's death nia and sabsceny ‘entre tthe premetin of Bok sep he was entirely nop Pathetic to his widow, tothe extent tat she is notably abet hong ‘ae diay entries from he yer 997 unt is death nig Choate wasnotalane. Any ination about LD Blk enh at po snditheisosisextemely sce the eins yey hy even the early 530 shea found he new oeton~ “there fof shiesin of the casa land suceeded die ber weak beat ad meager income in ashing her Soo page tog ‘mam ops Cll Danny Hoy and Madey (ihetanes, {sori sree)" Af LD. Blots sudden death ngs from eheartatack lhe ‘eters to Aletsand Blok, together with he private memo, which erent intended for publistion became the propery the neny founded Sate Literary Museum, Asa meter ofthe Acsand BakLiterary Hertage Comite, Kernel Chul studied the memoirs ed shared his indscimintly native spreion wth he mem bes Boks immediate cic Although the actu memols Were at publihed is Rusia until aco, ble tha ne many people either ‘ad chance toe them in the achive og ike Anna Akhmatova, hea about their content fons Chukoval. °K. (Chukka ‘eg meabou ihr’ Deira Diary,” Akhmatova reported 9 Lia Chakra August go. “He ast such muck that you have to wea aloshes. And only fw day ago as feling srry ‘ocher, thought wea dary from her youth, Not al itontalss recent recoltions....fastthink, she wisest ld the Blanket ana he adm ny voluptuous boy My God, how afl And she ‘1 petty sot about Blk, alls nesses ate std" AKAmato- vatld Chukoskaa on another econ, jut think of she coal fave remained, for the est of her if the Besutiful dy, Sophia the ‘Wise Al she had to doa ee sent nstead, she wate sme poe nogeapicveminisences that dirguted everybody." Abhmaton's neptveassessmentof Lub’ Drain Boks an ut widow and malicious chronicler was very popula among et clot ends and seqnitaness andhas een the prevslensvew aman the geal pub he, despite cnt publetins of LD. Blok’ theoretical works and thee wie seam among pei.” Toa conde een, sch anunfiy critical ection to LD, Bs put reclletions, which ‘onethadowed her many othe achievements cn be expaned by he Sove racic of ranting memoirs the pblegs oF bing keepers snd guaants of Ruan coltive memory. ‘Unt eet the pcos mmadiately preceding nd flowing ‘he Bolshevik Revlution were outiely mlepesented in ofl So et arate The main sources of elbleinfermatin about these power priate records and memos apt sci outcast sich ‘Nada Mandl or Lda Chuva Aa te when p= ‘ate elections often died from Mtr eon, meres (andere could no longer be regatc s pur private pheno na, Instead, they became a power weapon in scl pil, nt ‘uu struggles Thus, paadoialy while bemoaning the os of ena privacy imposed onthe the Sevigny llc ‘ual wee infact engaged in exelng thei very prea in der torepresent them ter deeds of public nportance Such memoirs erase censored fond by the merits theses oe by members of thei entourage), and facts were convent bent to 2 ruhful” account ofthe time. Whit Chur, AEhmatov, end ‘ther intelectual seem to hae ound pacticlny petting about 1D. Bloks mem was the very “priate” quality of her writing. Ieidentally,Abhmatovs and Nadeshda Mandlsam ete equally shocked by Serge Rudaov'sll4o-peronal accounts of hinting ‘vith the Mandelstams in Voronezh," Likewise they stipe Sa ing something truly “monstrous” fx Mehl Kumi petal ary ‘itwereto appear in Book form in he54o" Although Nadezhda Mangelstam hs ha a eputaion ofa treba hoe behav wa imple and unpredictable there rothing spontaneous about her rendition ofthe putin her Set ook of ero. Not sping. Hope Agus Hope (spina, apelin which Nadezhs Man lta, ull LD lo, wa es proce with ling he rath than ith manip the reader soquiedthe satus ft ‘onlyanbjective historical decument tao amen of decostact- ing Stalinist etutions. In is obituary for Nadezhda Mandelstam, Josip Brodsky r- called varius dana dling hte ocuped inthe fom tn 9, hited hein the town of ak, whee she lived ina oot “ight square ets age or tough the sof an average American bath room,” he explained to readers unre withthe meti ster, "Moto the space ws taken up by a atria bd here ce also wo wicker csi a waco chet wth nal ion snal-purposebadside able, on which st plate with the overs of ‘nx supper and, nest othe plates, an open copy of The Hai and the Forby aah Bsn. Another fegutely quoted testimony 1‘he writ’ poring conditions comes frm Chula Msn ‘Aro Aono The Aor jour (Zap Are Ama 0 nich be deste er Fist ito Aha in cos clined techy backscattered anche ein, ‘chop despa tee. Theresa lcm comet aen ie ssiate and bet at then. The eral pene af one net npc ches Byte sos atcha mings lig apes Sie potting Theor nen, Theda ngs the ‘ane hi theminorn ath nae fs, he i pats onthe wad not don heron othe cana ty ony empha grfthe "Theol thing ht a eu buf wa thew oto ‘hepa. and tre gang ihn atthe wido lac bans Ad efcuse ee Without much ado, Akhmatova nfrined Chukka that she had ‘rece separated from Punin and att particule moment wos wondering whether o “hang pictues on the wal! or whee te *nolonger worth the truble™ ‘What Chukostaia observed was in at aly pci: Abhmsto- ‘was putting fn touches to he “com of heron.” in this oon ‘naps she composed some of ker best nn vor ecading Ragen The Wy of Alte Eah no, and larger portion othe fist ashen version of oem Without «Har Fon that tne on _Ahmatows poetry poured outin ope unisteripte ow. Eel khmator changed roms a wel a lctins but the dear of i. ‘00m remained lately the same" When Chow hada chance ‘evi Akbmatora in December sith sight ofthe fear fra ings brought ert tar” mater place Leningrad fo the it ime the wt io ny tie a hr new prt on Kel Koons S, ‘Thesis pith ck andy Aton ate! so ‘much ie Aisin that rates evant och euler od ysis leet tine snd anil henge haven tcp tothe moo fare of elo) ane anne ‘ith abrken ey Aswellsthe sate uogeny Bethe ‘0 andinthercom nthe outa House ys io Ovewelmed with nostalgia, Chukovetaattionalized he eno: ots by investing Akhmatova’ shabby serountings nth inant Property. or her, they Functoned simultaneously a aemnindr of ational auras anda materi igor of Athmsto's creatine ‘reap “For Anna Anker the things a her oom ae mos ely, filed with the year i: for me, they ae out of 7 --tonly sng them in 38 bat they ike mle teased the ceation of Reon fe greatest monument tothat ph, which isnew ele theyoas thirty-seven.” Without realizing, Chukowlai made abhor ‘om ok ik memo museum, west ery new exh seeded tobe acount fer. Not suprisingly she med spta "a por ‘tlt of Olga Sadek on the wll which he did ot remeber secng in that other room inthe Fount House” Subconcouty, Cakes id not want oe sigan changes in Almatons's att, and apparently nether dd Amato Asmany memolsts ve recorded, AKhmitova shoved lite in ‘eestin her pie possessions eet fr her alse nwhicn She kept her manscits ana which aay et hee sight. “er close ends” Korn Chur ec, all knew that one the present her with sy. atateengravngor aboot nay orto sewed ‘ave given the avy" Chukar ely compared Alma to ote leat “honces”writes sucht Cale, Gogo. pellon Grigori an "heen" Osp Mandelstn. However Anat lscepad for comfor seemed 4 unique to him tat he deve an ‘ther pgeofhismeroisto thie patel subject: Sheba comforts cu nan tif apd inher when rounding eae eomibe There vr faihngs"trns een ee Intnl lento hes—tot ber dy and rpseth nan psy ARbato a oe fe than tel agri Of sue healed bat hinge anda comme a he oa, eral bi engings ct lo, anesocn weld appear inbermodt quiron reais ny todiappearafev dys ate... nt parton wh thse tgs hath sore tly sete le fr Those hing weer “eal conpinen’—1nd pen ery Marin Tt § having hr esd od og she weed ember Isard being none "aye hey oy tins pair te gu oer aryl an ah Inger theallarelat ouch with olen eae ptemad desing gow whch or ys seeds heros thie 5 "Thal abi pony hath ering out ‘Tis remarkable inventory of tes both waned and not needed, mvongothethings testo Akmatoasresor perce dependen- ‘yon er immedi surroundings. Moreover her compalsve urge to cio ny new te within day oto eget tat hi rlaton- ‘hip was preiated onthe supremacy ofthe cbc over its owner and ot the other way aound." In my opinion, Mandelstans "homes nes wafer from Ako orbit was smaterof grace Fully scepting what thd handed i ore monesiaicanty t ‘reds now writing venue and therefore waa mater fee. ess Conserat Oris Although mas Op Mandela eo famously ecard he rus sttachent fo materi culture "The Moming of Acre” Ut snes," spo 95), nothisbt Akhmatova postr (a wel {ssher personal life tht was constantly being read against he bck drop of culturally codified domesticity Following the Bolshevik Revlon, the clans ninetentheentry options of pit ver- sus public, an interieversus erin, acquired a dist poital ‘onntation, Dapeng on th crits vasou gens, Akhmatow's Poetry wasoutinaly compared either to the sf atmosphere of a tere bedroom orto the ellos man. Most notin 36 le eta Kring Karwvava (the renowned Mother Mati, 18-1948) esrb the cary ag.os as period felt deline and pot stagnation Sheree the St Poot’ Guida it fouing fers 2 being "pig serous, somewhat dull, and full posting” ‘That was the time when" GumerandAlhmstova wer each beg ig to make her ditinetve ark” Whe Gumiley ranged long sy of from the Ruin plans. foeeign eatin,” AKhatove “hardly ever ventured outside her sty root hteed with ria ‘ba" Guiles study in which he ated his Afcan clon, iso smell “strangely ofthe toca, woe tthe Abyssinian ‘weit preserve paltngs. “Nether [Gurley] or [AK] Jn mach tof," seconlid.” or Kur'mina-Karavaers fn 1936, Aatora's som cletly fancied asa teope forte fhe ofthe ames preservation Projet to avert the calamity of WW and ofthe Ruslan cestons ‘that flowed nf, ¢ she perceptively curved inher eae a tile, “The Last Romans" ("Posed inline, 304th atthe ‘eit were motivated ist and fremosty the pesrvaton of the ‘ing worl." Therefore "hi ving attadeowaed the surround ng wold” was informe and contin bythe neat ofits lima destruction. The pets egsly worshiped sch potently odangered items "tome litle wip 2 pi of loves, everyting thing, evry stay object.” asf, whl siting in the comfort of thle toms they all had “gimp sonthingterible and ghtening™ through she windows. Tis "ee pee. hore made one ook constantly back over on shoulder athe window a Tet a speci sgncanceto Athmatoss poets by enancing the mystery" oFher othe dinar extent” Kur'ina-Karvae' night critic runs counter tothe popula view ofthe cml movement as being fond onthe so-"Ronfcas tos ands ty at tikes wrt Denko My Rune Home” 2 tendon ote vieuppi senna te ‘toed Pom Hy Hee aaa Setenonctoe eae ttmiestenmiatennaien pent Heat on Pun dong thy Eon tothe news of Olga Glebova-Sudeikina’s death in: i945: “When ‘number of poems inspired by historical figures and her own contem- lal that Ohad idan ene dn Fonts mest Ihe rng wae vandheaghe Wit marian vevllon anim stance cnt estou Olay Innere eee Beh, imate portato Sed (toa tenia inpd ation nando huang Secale oe ton ou Came Rai ot of Mover ps hae Mach no, Mit Mloethtusrondecseraa ne Slt whoa he mpfr or kg mgeane ny ant Iwiechmeesintoeege ‘hn rida rom, th angers ae lore omen Akentoneterouetene lade Suen pete eat see lebih red termi Ease oh Gaacert abet bheker beetle ne cman seer ee lay ate Also nin sepa ma en Creer din emer aces ee Tieton yl enw yon imply yea ac the alga Thema apropiton ha e's eine pn ante enon pun atdeclty Kaine ee Pathe dnubing pei Renee Sentumed anid As Cito econ rhea ibeausol snes ee . xsd wo bt nth wes om mesa ie soles Ptr ies arin otal may adie ay ‘mung eu rwgh daft fr wnting thing that was genuinely bezutifil was the window onto the garden, ender ety te bette ne aid aalsheegng ght nethewndoe” leche bycompasion firth retain slog aed eet eso pnt cms tansy eee | sft often Namo ae eet taht nar wee thaw bend therthing teen fundpaicny tobe ancmanhtnces heen cvs ahr oft ogh datas homme Ae htepathl eddy estate spec thei cselng fom ety abe a Satine tercooeaandane ts wer del: Alton ar ees ee ‘input eoheraculig gatas eo ey Inn 96 pred Alaioecnenilee the shame nly Du tet eae Sat xp Mandan compar necanhene eea Fosnsin Hose hadto oft thought pa eee ‘hala hae one bendony deny these ‘ato mdony the ied tn conmunpatnne ee ‘et antral alder ee ‘th Alimtondie hamesswmengat ee ae seretsc hr topocy™ Ahmar ene “He sig Ao eat en eh a oeremsc fcr taons and unbounded contin but tmakes otf sense when appli its partiul raesetatives™ Mere spe ‘cally sheds set ghton ABRmatovlsomevhat usual tin tothe news Olga Glebov-Sadtkinas death n945:°When lexmed that Oge ha ded, as, ofcourse, adden. But the next ‘moming [woke up and thought: What watt good thing they tld. se sbout la yesterday In Novrber go, the thghts fe old fiend (vo wa then st lve) inspired ABKmatva's famous eol- Teton "You Came to Russia out of Nowhere” Ty v Boss prishla rite’) which wa the inet fore Future Po Wikre. ‘When ead ons own, he pstage sound ike an oir: Ama tovedeserbes Sueiina at "poets beloved rend? and immediatly declaresheredlto bee be pets doe ed ‘hefueyouone joel now yom “The nator sppropiton of a fiends prime possession ant: pts the disarbing ole a the hens opening lines ene paper haan Tamang yur gh da ewig Readers av uly enthralled by the eauty ofthese ines tensed ‘ycompasson for the poverty tke autho, sd rarely take notice cfthehenenet ofthistramacton.Namaous shales nd ads trs have been concerned with etablishing the dent ofthe mtr tus auhor ofthe rough drafter than commenting om the moa {specs of the idea of steing fom the dead fy then al ie ead dats wee dead), Akhmatova vas io ep She was an undertakes, In february gy pazladby Athmnato' extended period sence, Osip Mandestar compared her to “earvrous seagl!”(loniad- et hata) whose visi bet ony drng historic events suchas "waa tevction, hie sendy ard dep owing periods in fe donot sticher to poetry" AKbmaton's lence was broken when she ste" rile to My Rusned Home” (api 3 rans dn) followed by "rom You! Hi My Heart" (‘Ot tebaia sede sty), epitaph to her deterring lationship with Pui, along lh umber of pens inspied by hor Sguer and her own conten patie, most of whom were by then dea. I the it 90, she lo orto Rp tetrent othe Sine esr and vcs, "Evidently, hmatovas productivity in the Int iyo amazed unin and ale hurt i feelings ® she onfsed to Chukovsaia March no, "Nikolai Mialaeichhar now donee anetrenion or taking umbrageat me: why dnt wt when we ved together, when Init so much now?! If Amato's poetic wo tive nly when ‘einer being thrextene, Karin Karwers gests, then er el gueedeltnce in the corneunal parent, partic layer ARhmatova and Pain separated, may wel have bed storie eft and assuged her anvils athe than creating them, 4 many memoir ceo imply By the ate pos, the AVE ‘ian oomvindow parade, ar defined by Kamina Karas had been tured around. As Chukorlasrecllation offer Est vist 1 Akhmatova sggets he existential hor no longer riginaedn the ‘tele wr, but nthe wir own on, with the window sere ing a a einer of unattainable nrtaley and beauty: “The oly thing that ws enn esti ws the window ont the gd, aed te gazing right nat the window.” Io happened hat even ‘he acme propensty for onsesing absolutely everything hx hia dchinaia eh.enseovoala) whch Ki la Karevae found partly ebjectonable and soma enees in 4, thelate soe ha cq deftly postive signfcance inthe jes cf Ahmaton'scultireconslous ear aed admins” Tha, gu, asin prt lated to er actual ving quarters The ows moto of the Sheers fan we De Const Oni, vey vstor tothe Fountain House ad og a through the gates nacrbd with this rota and only then entered the communal apstment. Not suri Ingy, Allamatoa chose thimatoa at epgraph tothe Fam Wha 4 Her Although ARmatoajokd thatthe nston amply sent"Dear God, protect my nupplies of canned fod” (Baha hn omen he saved nck foc her very your inteocatore Fl lowing the disappearance of the prerevoltionary materi cular, -Abhmatow'spocry mat ead by many ar manifetaton of lal reslenc anda brig inking many centuries of Rusianhisoy ANunin Love Unite Jane Austen, wh entered her period of silence a decided pinata the eat gn Alimatva was beginning her ating re lationship with Pin. Hee stnning appearance certainly gave her anadvasage ove les attractive oc ermal lectus sch 2s -D. Bloke who strggled to promatetheicarers simply to make ‘ends met On December, 92a, Koenel Chukosil conde is ‘Pression vist to AbRmatovee ey geome me Ao. Tes detent yee ener teeny ce (Steve Sm ee The ese eth ‘knees een gre th gna ee Shinar mtn icone, egy inten nem ey 9 (humnccomanle il esol ve utente ye eel ‘ou ten eee ewe eh ‘rtm eames eo ls eset cle cre nt ve tyne Be spon Chukowi caught Akhmatova none of er happe ments and the ulehov ike menage saquerc of "watery soup," "onde oom, chen entrance "ether "cok," and “cons” comeyed the idea of sn unadocned bt filing womanhood. Cukor left Akimatova “ith ood fig” fe months ete when fund ABlmatona ‘sndher fend, Olg Sudetkina, sting slate in thei eprint, the Sight of wo women "without husbinds" and without money” ed ‘leat with ty and compassion “Iwas so moved by teat (Chukovai admit, ‘that tok them bth othe tester to see (aetetinc] The Mido SArtony™ Although in elif Chukowsi apparel wished for anu complied and prosperous extence fo AKAnatov in is isp tive schemes se convenient belonged tos nunnery Het “werd, Intonation and pests” he revealed tol edence ing, "bt ‘nun is love—one who sbultaneouy Kise an rks the sgn o he os ove you... Bute iss are about tend because ny fhe latest poems ex that she ha allbutdnd wth ear oath ‘ing land that sien has descended on het” Aktion “is & otf orphanhood and widowhood Unlle sther poets, Choa fulitted, Akhmatova had «“atrong predilection for squlon, ‘The upholstery of hes ermehasis vender the ros oem UE ‘heen earths bles it hr wallet empty the Bag Tale” the shoes are ownatthe-he and the satel broken and yng sown, Berything hasbeen belted and found deci but thas excl why Akimatov finds hoe things dear ox” Her pty, ot that reason, che graphic desrp oso passionate ise nem Traces “eveything bos down othe rly noticeable” maton’ “wo isl nd narow-—delctable, peti but al,” In at er ‘era isso smal, Chulovki kept warning hie ear ht" ight ‘ouch of somebody'shand scien the mind ofthe eatous acd esered womin an unforgetable sigicace. Tea imagine he ‘easnglycomplatdrltonthip with Pain. As is Menge wih Aion Vn Anna Ati nde, Liisa cone ely ten vith Akbmateva. Hecheefally enters ead Foch and delight her wit is ning bout Gue’spesona ‘ot ssh his predictably negate impresons oie rita ‘ie wth Gurls farmer lovers. Akbmatora, apparent encour ge Luks sexual exploit becsse they added utenti to his shoal accounts and spiced up their eles conversations. he cing to Vera Lanta, alts fel beni hele fan rotemedator tween the dead Guile and Altova ginger ‘oppor to relve hu disappoetng lationship with Gunes ‘mtu ery uch be wm, ‘ingen pao shea, Almaty ve Gum tno ell Thay een ah ‘Theralnhing snot tole gp of Guile A stadet Abba ‘Oui Asean ead wth Grae Such an opportunity tou pep. Epc om en he uni Nowe" was ging oso what er new ond te {ith uni din sora tbe shal cogex sndenhurg... Andee ony enporaly—a beeing ‘pace An Gude” ‘Whether, ab Andersen ples, Lisi as employed by the secret pole tabi reports on Amato or ply fl prey to ‘i feinine charms, thee int work on Gum's bogtepy nthe 'widamce undoubtedly enkanced ARmaton' awarenens ofthe in portant ole the female companio playin writes oth before afi the death [suggest hat ut she resumed het wring ‘the mids, Akhmtowe eign hereto her pelt postion ‘of Punss companion and Guna "estanged” widow Likewise Inher biographical sudo Pushkin she ced on Ms fly hp pies and on his ateful due Pushin, ecoaig to khmatons Tonge tobe loved and totais ew uly yet etd tht istesinge to Nata Nikolaev would bea diatr in her Pushkin ofetion, Guy (wo fought aden 09a who was excita Tying squad in sat was equsted with Fushkin, while Grile's sco ie, Ana Engle homo Lend and Astra ‘at ax medio and sels) was conveniently cast in thereof the ly Nal Niklaevna® faces that the ey to Amato i> ter confrontation wth Punin i the ate 90s which she repeatedly advert forthe sk of he ager onl, may inher dramatic ‘econcepbualizalin of he ow potion with ear to Pasi in par tala and to Rast Herat in genera. Whereas previouly he ad se cafe a dependent of Pin whom se ilingly assisted ith is research and preparation for otares bepaning nthe mad x30 she caret lok upon heels the more nportan grein that union Once she had hed doubt about heave ele, Pain tuted to lok more ik neo those crue female companions tha, ts she herself demonsteted, wore both a buden and a trademark of ‘very ratte ena The beng ofthis proc can he raced toy whan tert Panin in pan she excl cmmpare ber self Pashkin and eto Natalia Noles: isthe ips of your wing Wl edt el is end, the count of Argenta ands Pushkin [el otal Natalia Nioaewa.”= AKhmtov'snteest in Pushkin inthe ridagnoswastimulated ‘yer desire dst his poety by etabiahing the ect soures of isinspiation’ Akhmatova, acorn o Lakes avoided talk ing about her own poetry and apparently was disturbed by her own see hich deer bsp an eyeon ater esperar sll: poets, sicha Paterna, Mandela, Mill Ase, ana Nikola Tikhonov thesameting,selooked upto aay accomplished poets schas ‘Pushkin Gurley and innolntt Annona orguiance inning @ suis niche forhesl She triumphant each time she managed foetal abe ik bebwen various pets, clang that hems mich happe since her thoughts ad ben completly absorbed by ‘her new rsetrch, When Lk suggested that she devote heel solely to wrting Guile’ biography and become sale autho, -Abhmatova turned down the ea by pontng out tht she woul be ‘enbaramed oclscuss Guys asin publ intend, she prom (ged to wnt an article ‘about al ther poets tht had an influence oni.” Inc, ARhmatoe fled to keep Giles prt i an is eatonshipe with his preeusors nd onteiporatiepart. An this asttally tobe expecta, sincera ofthe abject of hisnatuation ‘nd fascination (mast impotant, Akhmatova betel) wee eter oes in their own right, such as Yelizaveta Drive, ria Odoer= tue, and Lars Resner or people innately relied tthe worl of stander suchasthemenberof Kuzmic, te aris Ol. ‘Aberin Gidenbrandt. This highly ned literary world may hae ed Aldumaton to conceive flier competition at struggle within mall group of closely elted people sharing some common spe, strat that of communal apartment. This inept tee, for example allowed Akhmatova in 1940 to porte Eikh Geller {alh—whowe article and reclletons he fund particularly bee ‘alin the gaoe—~as gully of taking poss both this wife and of Athmatons pasoal eters. "This what ed's Ans Andrcun, he mare the scond wie of my late sisters husband ‘And got posession of oad] my ets andy se’ any" Unlike Bloom's theory of fray mance” which fc = ay freconfguring poets eitionshis with one another ws Lely ‘xed onthelde fone ended, ele nit fly wth every po stifles being accounted or by mariage enc, sympathy, oc extramarialaas© ‘When they quarled about something tv nd in ones to hurt Gul’ felings—Aknatoa adit to er fiend Natalie Roskin-—she would tel hin hat the was by fa a beter poe than ‘he Previously when she wat the ator cteer and Grier as already considered mature poet, people often ingu bout her husbands opinion of her poet. Did he approve af i Blok, Convery ad ow opinion of Gurley, othe point of beatingAkhmatow fr hs ut was puting on boos in some doa roan,” Adbmatoe recall,“ stood behind me mumbling "yo non, Ldeiike your shan pet Amatova worked onan ages stry fer relatonuhp with Guy fr oy yer "belo we wee engaged fr oolong, she cenfase o Chovaaie sn 9go"Tva in Seartopo he wae in Bc. When gat sign 92, bad already loot hs paseo." While the ot tnd nthe ‘sso she a adit that the eationship was ant bythe comput and muta infidel, in thes, the sole eon she |g fordocing Gurl washer alleged sie to breakaway For hs gripping author. Consequent 96 sheet he following in trios fr he atare ogrphar cf Gurley: cd ade yo tert Creed pbigesy ot ei yin ow the ent young Psle sly inte mas tat Ph pot thin Baence hse emer ha death a eth che ndac onthe gel ht wat et oi ant whu hems atch enormous gle sch aleg tine (Comets thick, haps lve ws thems eto. Thats sb worth vegan Inthe roe Amato pale hee for blog present. ven fly ‘advent nthe man body of Guile’ postr. He onthe ca teary acording toe) le alzost no acelin ets, Thus, Amsto- se ersons of her past thie, tel impenetasty stated forunrute ve and ert dees, ‘Akhmatova als rasted that her Loos, talent and person ty id not lt produce «profound eect on both Mandeltrn ‘sd Paster, whoepart fot Tetaeun—were arguably er 50 ‘moet important posi net, Mandela, ashe reminded ‘Chukowkala, was at some poitin love wih Tvetaea. Then “Osip {edo il nove wth me we, but bth te seemed 9 met besuch an insult to or frendhip ha I lrmeditly put asap to ‘1 Pastrak proposed tome thre times” Akhmatova revealed to ‘suresedChukorlais afer Parterna’sdeth "But what ue would ‘nehave Bento me? lat mated to Pin at the ine though ‘hat dnt etm to mater to Boi. A for Marina [Teese she ‘continued thoughfly "they had an afr abroad Even wth An- eck who den sop and whom he honored the "eache” ae ‘major source of nfuence,AEhmstova claimed tive hada more Perional relationship, tothe extent that he would have mari et if gina chance. Athmatoa “knew him onl ight" one chron ler dif wrote describing her reatonslp with Annes nthe 9608. Anneriwas the principal of grammar school forbs and ABhmatova was siden nag echoo.., When elvis marred Afton’ eer sister, Annes eed, "would hae ‘hoven the yourges one Although Akhmatova was no doubt aware ‘hater anecdote was redolent ofthe famous exchange beeen Pash ‘ss Leni and Onegin she, as ber chronicler pinted ot. eed ‘ry won Annensis suggestive rear Pushkin was notte ony source of ingpaion or Akhmatova ‘With ime her relationship wth Gun stertd o lok es ike the rltonhip between Pushin and his wife and moe ike hat b= ‘een Dante and Beatie. "made ong tnd eightening ti though tats pot bthligting my way and incomplete dares with the asestance of leper aking hie wy long the very edge of something” Abdmatova recs ner olebook on May 995 ‘Akhratows tnerno Akhato strategies fo contin her anv ere lied ther workon the fist, salad Tashkent version af Bo Without a em, Athmtova wot ite longest pat, “The Yer sn” inone stig znngzad on Deserbe 7190.8 Ihave show, the yee 340 a ‘earl because she veal den cad) various works coffer Russa prdecstocs and contempearer and voce her di content nat so much abou the actual ters a about the authors Priatelives. To understand why Akane ested other writes such ay, oe ight eal er interest in Dnt’ ie ane work hatcached ite pak nthe at sos an prticltly in 54, when her frend Mit Loinski was working ona tanaation of The Divine Cony si shard with ARhmatva his ining wel ahi ter. sy apd strc sures. “The mbole of lastnight she [as reading Dante, comparing to the ieral Pench transition,” Chukoshais eaoredin ee Nous on September 7,940 Although AKAmatova ta ead Dante aller if athe evened to Chk, tere wt semathing special about hispartclarreeing;"lznsthinkthatal akan poetry derives oom the Conny which s tue, of ouse Bute intererting thing i ths ith Dante verthing na demas ako Samal" she eas refting tothe fest par of Th Divine Comal in which Vigjlads Date through the ine ce ofthe lero. [What Athmatova mast ikly meant bythe “domestic, alrost fam” quality of Dante's work his evident compatsion tard most ofthe sinner, who wee ll nown to im beens they were clther his frends and contemporaries or easly recognizable teary and bidoviel gre Dnte'sintended audience ala enpcld 10 deny most of his charatrs which may have crested an impresion sla to that Spin tough aly lb, Dante's re ‘setinghisillueriouscontemporvier sr repentng sinners at ave ‘ppd to Akduatova and food he ial ager of er work on the Foo a wel ashe general approach to petenting both men and wom a enbodinent f one pi ice or charicteritie—ae can reser ne gener teatment of ther women as ugly reste, in caling Kin "roomie" rin refrencesto Vaca anor at ‘borer ad tot As well known the sodomites nd variout ‘ypes of tits ad ducers Feat prominent in Dan's Ir, Like Dantes infin, the Fem s populated by famous peopl but in Akatow cette ae the poets str, aad mie cians whole an imprint onthe turn he century Rain cle [n"The Year 9" the elaborate strate of the nero isda to the space of conamunal apatoent, wee the"autho” eid by ‘he shadows omer ast onthe ee of 4 and together with hers rellvs the dramatic events tha took plice in Petersburg before WW ee spdthe teatons* eto Although Dane ame isorpcouy nie edb henley alias rs ‘ets nevethels dicenble Ech chances Wan ane sek ‘ate orelceinoa cage Man a eaheheernn soc via cetaan ey aggre 7 ‘initio tat baton as Racer bout pata Sued Sodio i Canin te Da Paes oe ht Klar te pet vb conc aus ap ‘viene ep hs Kamin nor cgloior tat eu ote, No wonder hey oh Shescton es le decd cel ple hoe ‘hear arumble adistant wa 7 vie Whine ing sun” ofthe imminent cata f a the Foe grew nse and "The Yea "btn one of ‘leper pars. Despite er mane ompson for most of hes char sete the auth hike Dante’ il Lennga ein her tens ind mann hain snd mts thin tee 493. They are forever captives ofthat turbulent time. ™The Winged Eavesdropper KUZMIN AND NABOKOV Tose adem ah adept she ace my atid cathe Wine, {an rm he windows id ne ond ly dup on ence Ter aid neve hei Now avin, at fe erat, {en dad, ede btn ya, rd ll oh ys ‘Sth or Sandal Sl slovi, May 2003) the wrterSerget andlor suggested that Vidic Naboko was far better at ‘cpg Ruslan ltr tations alive than ARatova, wo wa ‘only inetd in heel Although Canes id nt subtatate his claim with any concrete examples, he was cert ight in one rerpst: Nabokov’ postion within the pantheon of Rain alta ‘custodina indeed diferent rom hat of his oer contemporaries. Unlike Ann Akhmatova (89-966) and Bors astra 90-160, Vlad Nabokov 99-97 did ot wre during thes called iver [I cone ofthe episodes of the literary television broadcast The ‘Age. Because he started to write src only alter his egos to urpe following the Bolshevik Reoltion andthe cil wat he wae ten challenged to prove his worth a Rusion wre According to ‘AlesundeDolisn, "Nabokov slack of ape Soviet! cary pst put him ata dlscsantageas compared with the other fret ede of Fetenbue—Gesegi Adamovich, Nia Bbetors, Georg enon, rin Odoevtses, hos high esteem aman young emit authors ‘ese, nage part onthe semilgedary biographical elias shaving been acgusnted with Innokent Aaneskior Ha, orb lngben ends with Mandela, Cutie an eter ees" Ins autobiographical Spsk, Memory), Naboo presets ‘sympathetic portrayal of his younger ele, the author Si, whom Inedeste a "the lolita the mos eropan”Rusan emigre, whose "work kept provoking an acute and rather metbid intrest om the partof the cc.” As suggested by is emer pen ose stacks on various writers, inloding Dosti, Nabokon was noe preoccupied with the ethical impiations of denigrating the pera. ‘ur dea or peeved Rustin wnt Altona was Hove, 84 perpetually rootless suthor, Nabokov hese notorious tre about which works rly intend him nthe enue of ica ree Unlike Ako and Pasternak wh nepied several les ef memoirs, Nabokov succeded in mtn eh ie ex rng his tr yas when e became an fteritional ely, His rary txts, therfore rthe meet els tetaments toi inate bonds whi predecesors nd cantnporres Ths chap about staring point Kabokv's itera ater whch Thelen onde ‘wth his ting hisleserknown novel The Bye Soden, pp? Inthe lat ge an early ps althogh steadily tuning nt one of te most prominent Russian emigre writers (and deity one fhe most pulsed, Naboky war neerthles ubjected severe ‘its. Uncertain how to class works, criti labeled them oor imitations of French and German rigs Nabokow who sed ‘the pseudonym "Sin," rapidly gained the reputation ofthe, secking cheap success th hi rede. Gop anon, wove reviewof Sie” Mary King, Qu, Kos The Defeat The Retr of Chor appeared in 930 inthe fst issue of he Pars journal Chi, Asscrbed thee werk a “site, ana, nt lacking in vitusity, ho ‘ver andlmnente about “our wretched criti” and" undemsnding, ‘ean public who contributed tothe uces of the "Srnsf this world anor portrayed Nabokov aban impostor” apd an cutest ‘who could not poss belong to the grest Ras radon fin ‘he euler yar of his aver, sein fo the imposed loss ois rohan andthe trai desth of ibeloved athe, Naboo found ‘efage in writing pater ndtv works of poetry? in matty he ‘claimed decidedly uneanvenionl sources of isptation. Thus, in ‘The Cif (Der 398] Naboko’s ater eo, he writer Fedor Godunov- CCheryatsey, insists on borrowing Mis "wing of attic inspira tin “from consersations with his] fates, fom daydeams in is bene, on the nighbhood of thousands of book fal of draw {ngs of animals, fom the precious shiner af the collections om ‘he enaps [nd fom all the erly of ature andthe abi of atin names” Notwihatanding these clas, one shoud net gnore anoter posable sop of bok’ wings," namely the fous finde ice writer and pot Mal Kuz 936), whose novel ‘Wings Rea 90) was ucesly appropri by Nabokov in Th ‘5 Indl show how varloustbemaicbleis, alison. and motivations forthe aston of he characters in Wigs were meld down by Nabo- into The Eye Moreover histerary" afi with Kazmingve bith to Nabokosachetypalcharacer—an ambient sexually inverted, ‘nig loner-—whore striving and misfotunes Beare the main focusof mat ois subsequent wos ‘Why Kuen? When Km’ novel Wig append inthe erry journal Uy in 1906 brought athoe natant fame nd notary Ts was ot formitous Kuzmin nt oly fied to portray homoweas as doomed and tapaly misundetstood, eight have bem expeted, bu leo ‘ame up witha picture of homscrote parade aly accessleto hv howe dedi Hing gt ahaa he Joug hos Vy Sry eed at ‘bette tartan Wha ‘ingot ney torsos tw oa a Sermons bei acts neh ame roreents for Des snd ret fen emo tu a Goodtrt Surv mttonspemetopely heen cons apple td ety “Tiepblaton of ghee eva Bec teal of Rasa ean ote ou des nd seo Thetnputlti nn orange lest htt Cees Wats Do hn Tha wo eum on rete at Al ested tng ng al iene theyre cmcig tt hmesraiypma the thea sonnei nn Hower dope ir poplry en ndlah—Kee inn agli by scone cae ofthe degen ras Vain aor puso setae quit ohio and ese phe ston ‘evel atm sor ewes ys Toe Foxman res Kmi be pb of shkence stn ieee one tanith en Rating an ing ees thr teersng mami sng ea Seaton werd ey ser eye ‘eg hho ash nies anus War rugs T colonel ets ‘plein Pas. nt ey lh Neer Ean with Kan pried aight ae sne talc ogee’ angsty steth out Rutan rm nd deeded ct ‘anor cna ire at SSwrcoriwtowerhets ciel edad an ndsshe worst the publisher samaditly—"why bother rein ‘hema handing simpecablehe confides to ano." ‘enced ear, eno’ eitgu of Kunin ws par of ager campaign agai the preeotonary cll ley nd eveything Stetood fr that ws lunchedby Vladislav Khodserich ad was a= ted on bythe younger itera such ab Yur Teaplao and Nia ‘Otup A Khodatevch in "The Endf Rena ("Konts Realy” p8) steed sober the timate ale ofthe sbi "ifecreatng™ reject then Otsu, Terspian, and ther group wee much mote -2ggreive in adcaingsimpltyandtrahfalnes bth in feand in {at In auch an austere environment ene openly haste to any at iat that wa ot pursuing entifiabledeologil purposes. the "ighight" Kazi (ith is ependary nab and unviingsess toadheretoanypartulr schol or movers! should have appeared a perfect father figure to seemingly ates and wots astete lie Naoko, There wt seo connection Nabokov’ stent ‘entation wth the author of he ft Bazin neve bout hoo seu nthe erly 9008 Nabokov father, Vian Driieich, 2 caged authority on criminal lv argued on many occasions for ‘he decrminalization of homosexuals maintaining (ot ule Ka ‘nin)"thethomosenalty wat neither inherently abnormal or mer sllyrepebenele"™ "Nabokov and Kasia wee ist pieby Andrey Feld andr ‘by Genta Shao, Viadmi Markos and Olga Skonechaia.” ‘The slates perceived between these two authors ate, however, very general nna, Kmin and Nabokov are matched either be- ‘oucofhet tual dsp forthe ida deli Runction af ltertre or bees of commen stylistic innovations Nabokov hin self nse bade any ope statements of hi sttude toward Kuzmin's cee, Kuzmn’s nae tis nthe inde of Boks writenby or about Naoki Thelnks between Naoko and Kuzmin are, ow ‘een loser than would appear a et sgh Joh Barter exposed acomplia tem ofrefrencests Kun vrioue worn Nabolow'sshort stony Lips to Lips Usta usta.” s93, 1) na footnote alo mentions tht the name of Kuri’ protagonist in Wins, Vanja Smo reappear in bos ‘The wuts split between wo characte Suto, the proagoit, ‘nd thet eaves, wo ents th nicknste Vn. nat the are of Kuami's protagonist comes fom Dastorais The hes Kerunaov (Bria Karamazov 8): Suro is ile lethanded boy befriended by alyosa.” His rs are never reveled tothe ‘ender, the combination "Vaya Smart uistaably sz fan. Nabokov cunningly preserves references toboth Hera sources his Smuror i described by ono of the characters a “ene” (ekaulesha® Allusions to Kuzmin in The jecan be dicerned, bu the «amutge which probably expan why Karmin’s name rae ‘mentioned in connection wth Hino, in giving the name Vaya {o the objet of Smuro's unrequited lve, Naboo provides with tymolopzl explanations The gi is reported fo be wickased Vanya as result of er demanding be eal Mona Van ater ‘he heroine af some play rather Another alsin ths inten ‘nally ef open to ciferentnerprtitions maybe sbsred wen Srrovs mises Maldives him home to borrow a bok e tides Artin fron Fe Ruse (aloe ra dese Ari ‘Barton Johnson identifies thie work novel writen by etn Schop- ‘sti oes ot sem ohare thematic platons ee The ya whole The pirng of Matilda an Aradns however brings to mind Kazi The Gene Kg (Ti rac), writen gia epee ‘bythe publishing house Petropolis in 4 In this wrk, he long ing of dying Maida Petomna for he tons mackngy compared tothe string ofthe mythologeal Ariadne desered by Thea ® Each of thetre pening pargeaphs cf The Gee Ri stats with ‘he name Mati which erare to «Ruin ea This section leaf ‘Mates burdensome lowe fo er son. Nabokov eres the genes ‘mood a Kamin’ orginal nthe flowing pase tht appear near ‘he bginning of The "Mada, who woul nguecoyy ona ost: Mat, hoon the stats ste door woul arly ite‘eto ht oly othe opportunity to give sham shiver and pase siontely whisper, "You insane oy ..": Matilda, of course, didnot count ‘Nabokov’ depiction ofthe elaine linking Smo Mati an ber hshand Kashar whch ames the "nai story 0 ‘st Te Ee nan nitaably Kuominian conte Here the it of what happens Having lod Mat’ infiy, Kashar ver Control and bests Smurov up. Hut, Suro atampts suid ashmals, Bowe, nds ou that Smrov ws not his itor vere later dots et an puts eer int leking for he tormrrl Notonly doeshe cal nleeting Seay, e also srs hi his guidance and protection, withthe possi of are tripe totaly, Sara accep Kashmsrins propos with gratitude. ‘Asa sution i esrb by Km in his rove Thereby Ladd Sex (Paiute, 95), which the two form al forthe attention ofa woman Sal te though to her *dllownet” and dep ape eationshipbebwen themes In fui Sesonalord conventional love eagle (0 encom: pein fr one woman) turned upide do ant isusualy aman sndawomanvh bth fancy ne msn” Sir love tangles ar ot nein Wings. Vyas to compet for Stoops anton Set wth he" sbicatly reveling” Nets, and then withthe more copied La Coldberg ‘Oe af the eking things about The Byes the photographie gly ofits ction wel. Ether the characters are shown as ifPos- lg forthe taking a peso hey re persed bythe naar as stati holographl mages. In Th Eye the wr ofthe photograph takes precedence vere” Me Rie ot the photograph that lets ‘veya fe but vice vers. For enim, Srurov beak nt Van's sparen in ode to ce water he stil ered the picture tat ‘hows them together He begin to ure that his ves unnegulted otc coimon ee elle him eo bt becase he finds hirsl? ming fom tha pitre—Vanya hs creflly ct him out Ince tally, Georg Ivanov remarked in a8 that Kemi’ "eatherous si dap ms spending ae cpeuy tment techn tio, amin ae No ‘dy alhophcae hoween wee Nigh ‘etl mot sy nme a in ea Safa ately hth iT eee ‘mien ry cafe eteee Shep tt tet ninhdatyebateee ee ‘helt hor nt wy tng ees totaal nae eh Eo ‘tn tangas comeing watered ‘mata ots Sour embod acer hoes iioefhore ie tnt n ws nssanege eas ‘sto bre ania iy te aon en ‘teint penne aes dees hartge ‘shi inihes fr cecpepa oe pent cates dics nn comer ‘ecu Samsemmeeen) et ain dort wot a ater~oiecinl woh aantoreonee ‘rls Kan rts cimalttha here Aten pee Wit Nr Soups ‘olmstead mae Sieepepctacne nocnnc tian tebe igo ae thro in meee Sues Ma dirgrnan bat Ss tmigt oe ihe = ‘eDdagcon ing Thott eterna Spanpoman te sn eel ‘ill srsophistisred protagonist, en an orphan, who event ‘ly nds his place in if. lowing the trary pete cach Servunexpected Sins infin annknown evn bole, nionment “Themedhe of Vays Smaro in Wages saddely an slooked te iat by hil elatives fom St. Peterburg, net hy sore Old Beevers, the by teacher of Greek, and rally he sft under the proton and guidance ofthe Russi Englishman, Stroop. Nabo- o's Smurov not only aes ll of his elatves bt slg forced to srigate, ut live among diferent Geena ei touch with ‘equally detached and suspicious compat ‘usm idungaoman swt inthe heyday ofthe sym ‘elit movement and wasinforma by theconception,poplaramong, Russian syboliss, tat theutimate goal of enlightened men and ‘women should bent procreation but continuous sting tomrd spe tual eit o resurrection In this conte, homoerotic ove (which lene procreation) assen aan fective ticle for eeeaig tis rebirth in agreement ih thi theory, Van advancement in tels shown metaphorical the develope of ft within the met womb, The novel open wth Vay tein fron the provinces ‘0 St Petersburg natin car with "sted windows and conludes nth hi farms opening of he window in Canon Mos house. The open window shows the reader that Vanya rborn aa “ompltly ‘wanformed being” whe aces the oe of Stoops companion and ‘lowed one. Throughout mucha the bok, howe Vary sug Iynoomith windows cloned or ven mover ints 2dr calla with ‘he Ol Believes. This apparently stems rom Vanja’ unwiingness ‘opt company wihthe confortable protection fhe wor the sc ond bth—adimison of hishomoseaatity—is otal os ‘the bepinning ofthe stay, Nabokov’sSmuroy als el the osdto reir nd hide himself in avel-hcered pace. Having ben seve beaten by Kashar, Smita decides to take is on i edeayrhis deco, however, rad ess "or fe minutes at east, to sti sft" and goer "Yo is orer ade”, lech ah) (a) Suro’ dase to rerum he place whete he had ved previ ly together with the description of the foal oom” elatered nth aris vse tht the landlady kop ling up with water fr no articular ressn, la suggestive of is raving to eater his mother's wom, [aboov'sSmuroy commits sce inthe outer dashes, nd ‘he it dhing he remembers is" delightful biting sound" He de- sexes the evenntersreminicent ofthe baking uterine water "tts mediately replaced by the warble ovate, thoy gushing ‘ole inal, and choked on lauiity evrything within me and sound me at alow and ats"). Subsequent mention Somo's “incomprehensible senaston of ight bandages and the fat that ie Sinds himself surrounded by neighbors muranies ie [ise ‘ngs tomind not only the semblance of spt but, more pe- sya maternity mad (9). Nabok, howe tages the “este tion ofhis Surv in the ist chaper, and no he lst, might be ‘expected By doing thi, be trp this at ofits sybian pi sophie implications. The seand bith presented not ab desed ‘tlminaton, the outsme ofthe character's moral revit ony at motition ofthe pt ‘ThePlatoni Theme ‘As Donald Gils shows, Kuan cans on homcercticloe echoes ‘be second speech of Socrates in Pass Phare about the relton- Ship beeen the lover an hisbloved*Forthe ste of smplication, Socrates describes the soul ef he lve a charter nchargecf to hors." One hos Is bestifil n bays chen: “is alow of honor. needs no whip but even spy bya word oe com rand.” The other—the epitome of sti therefore “eroked a ‘confoumation .. deaf and barely eeponds oa combination of whip and goad.” When the ove fist este beloved be isoverore with Jos andthe chaiter asa dil tas ang hiscstnte hose Grady however the ove ars orid inal of his unbecoming ‘bse cations and hielo are amply rvaded.Thelove allowed totale ‘cae ofal his dating neds and treats him le neg of sods... andthe dling himself aturally becomes rien tthe ne who cares fori”‘Soca spent msn about he actions ofthe over, who fist start groing wings himself asa result of onteplating the beauty ‘of is dating and then cetura the seam oFbeatyto the Beloved heey ling sou regan ite wing to in Was Kunin ‘choose olor on the stoy of the beloved, which sony biey ‘uted by Soca fn Sorte pech, elem thatthe beloved was “nally convinced by le rind that share to beset ‘ith his lover Sms, Vanja Suro lo ast se through all, ‘these accusations agsnt Stoop (instance, Stoo’ alge responsibilty or La Golds suid), ands time goes along des- tiny sncesing turing end Mit acept” Stroop as islower. "The ltionap basen Srv and Karhmarin in Naboov's storyhaallofthe necessary Pato greets. Kasharinisatfiat described "sagely jelo" andarally owner olin eyestho "gash htt nd beats wily through he nose) His portravakes the description of Plats "bad" hos withits "blood ‘hates Nabokov wit describes Matis’ bees ferences to ‘et hasband’sjelousy aces "hobyors). Smo’ only call tion of telat counter wae Kasha “heavy bight ened ‘ane with which he mou tp on helo When they meet fr the ssond tne, Kashmarinllovs hs emotions to overtake hse refuse to shake hands wih Surv and bets him up inten, Kash tai eestd thrusting of "Ui lack cane" at Surv inthe pretence of the two boy exper condoning vlence is suggestive ofa gang rape wit the stick a phallic instrument: "There he was, teeth bre, cane wpazed,andbehind hm, on ether sidefthe door, stood the bys. Inthe lassen, Bomeve, we reintroduced to a totaly ifir- et Karin, Notony hat he pasted company with is gruesome ‘ck, but he uy bps Suro or i forgvenes: "Fes tying to ‘spologine ory we temper couldnt ive at peace wth myself air ‘our—uh—hested dcuson elt hoeile bout i. 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Aqui seh lnc igre ‘coilips He pelt butewethinghe id wasieligetend _s7popiat adieu hn eo seo ese faghe, eedto ulek onl dor inthe soot, engin erp snes oo) ‘The enchanted narator reser to contin spying on Smaroy, end hiseyestel him that Suro was “cious person who, behind is \unpretentiusness nd quieras, conse ey epi”) "Thestatementsof the" buervng"naratr bet at ist the