Storozheva A. A.

Mythologization of steppe space in the works of writers of the 19th century. Pp. 103–111.

UDC 821.161.1.09«18»

DOI 10.37724/RSU.2024.83.2.011

 

Abstract. The study of mythogenic potential of spatial artistic images is a promising area of Russian literary studies. The steppe space is considered as an important part of the national worldview of Russian writers in the 19th century. The steppe is not only a part of the geographical landscape, but also a special cultural space, which influences the peculiarities of the mentality of the local population, is the place of origin and existence of original traditions and myths formed at the junction of different cultures. The object of research here are works of A. S. Pushkin, N. V. Gogol, M. Y. Lermontov, J. P. Polonsky, A. F. Pisemsky, A. P. Chekhov, M. Gorky, which reflect the steppe mythology. Analyzing the creative heritage of these writers, we came to the conclusion that the steppe carries a wide range of semantic meanings. The steppe space, characterized by a unique history and culture, undoubtedly has the ability to generate mythopoetic images. Steppe mythologeme, essentially anthropocentric, generates a special type of hero — free, brave, strong spiritually and physically. The formation of the cultural code of the steppe in the first decades of the 19th century begins with the conceptualization of the steppe as a “majestic,” “boundless,” “free” space. This artistic interpretation of the steppe traces a stereotypical perception, fair on the one hand, but somewhat romanticized. The steppe realities reflected in the works of the second half of the century often disappointed the authors; the vastness and monotony of the steppe inspired “lingering thoughts.” The established myth was being destroyed, but steppe signs and symbols (grave stones, burial mounds, stone statues of women, etc.) gave rise to images connected with the historical past of this space — with the times of nomadic power. The late 19th-century works depict the realities of the steppe relevant to the time when marginalization of this space was taking place.

 

Keywords: literature of the 19th century, myth, mythologism, steppe, area, image.

 

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