censorship

“We are an association, we are a community, but we are not a school” – to the 100th anniversary of the “Serapion brothers” association

This article reviews the materials of a multi-author monograph dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the literary association “Serapion brothers”. This project has united researchers from Saratov, Moscow, St Petersburg, considered to be renowned experts in the history of Russian literature of the 1920–1930s. The research is based on the unique documents from the Serapion brothers’ legacy being introduced into the scientifi c circulation (K. Fedin, Vs. Ivanov, N. Tikhonov, V. Kaverin, I. Gruzdev).

The Problem of Distinguishing Versions and Cyclic Structures in O. Mandelstam’s Lyrics

The article is devoted to one of the difficult problems in the study of Mandelstam’s lyrics, namely the problem of distinguishing different versions and cyclic structures based on repetition and variations of poetic fragments. The author offers the criteria of distinction, analyzes several controversial cases, shows the importance of presenting different versions of text as a dynamic unity.

From The Wandering Jew to Ahasver: Eugène Sue’s Novel in Russian Translations

The article deals with Russian translations of the famous novel The Wandering Jew (1844) by the French writer Eugène Sue, performed at different times. The brief characteristics of translators are considered. The comparative analysis of translations in the conceptual and cultural context of its era is carried out. The printing features of individual publications are characterized.

For and Against de Sade: the Trial of 1956–1957

The article considers the 1956 trial of the publisher Jean-Jacques Pauvert on the charge of an outrage against public morals. Pauvert decided to openly publish Marquis de Sade’s papers. The prosecution arguments, the responses of the publisher and of the witnesses for the defense – J. Paulhan, G. B ataille, J. Cocteau and A. B reton – are analyzed on the ground of the documents.

The Roman Empire in the Lyric Poetry of the Late Soviet Period (Jaаn Kaplinski and David Samoilov)

In the present paper the extent of allusions to topics in the history of Ancient Rome is assessed within the officially accepted Soviet literature. Different instances of interest towards the Roman antiquity among the poets of the second half of the ХХ century are classified and accounted for. The social and literary context of Rome-inspired Jaаn Kaplinski’s ( Vercingetorix, 1967) and David Samoilov’s ( Remus and Romulus, 1969) lyric poetry is assessed, as well as their relationship with the Classical subject matter and the 19th century civil poetry.

A. K. Sheller-Mikhailov in the Journal Russkoye Slovo (The Russian Word)

The article emphasizes how the participation in Russkoye Slovo impacted the writer’s creative personality, mindset, spiritual and moral as well as aesthetic notions being formed. The writer was in the center of the literary events of the 1860s and he held responsible posts at the editorial board.