Summer School on the Russian Literature. 2019.
Vol. 15. № 1

The article reviews the history of the first publications for the „people“ prepared by the Committee of Literacy at the Free Economic Society. The criteria for selecting books „for popular reading“ by the Committee of Literacy and the criteria for evaluating such publications by the Academic Committee of the Ministry of National Education are compared. Reviews by the staff of this department, V. G. Avseenko and N. S. Leskov, on S. Aksakov’s fairy tale „The Scarlet Flower“ and the Christmas story by D. V. Grigorovich
„Passerby“ are published.

Keywords: institutional history of Russian literature, Committee of Literacy at the Free Economic Society, Academic Committee of the Ministry of Public Education, review, N. S. Leskov, V. G. Avseenko, D. V. Grigorovich, S. T. Aksakov.

Olga Makarevich

The Pedagogical Censorship of the Ministry of National Education and the First Editions of the Committee for Literacy
An Episode from the History of Literature for „people“

The article attributes the German song and its translation, written by Harms at the end of September 1925 in a notebook. This is a song „Das haben die Mädchen so gerne“ from the Jean Gilbert operetta „Autoliebchen“ (1912) in translation by the poet, publisher and composer B. L. Andrzheevsky. It proves that Kharms got interested in the operetta under the influence of Mikhail Kuzmin, who in 1923–1925 often addressed to Gilbert in his reviews, and in September 1925 wrote the poem „The noise of an invisible motor...“, which is partly connected with the topic of „love in the car“.

Keywords: Daniil Harms, operetta, „Autoliebchen“, J. Gilbert, Mikhail Kuzmin, „Northern Fan“.

Aleksander Kobrinskij

A Kuzminian Subtext in Daniil Kharms’s Notebooks

The article discusses dynamics of Mikhail Kuzmin’s literary reputation in the 1920th, when he has been a member of the Petrograd branch of the All-Russian Union of Poets. The Union of Poets is one of the main organizations of writers in post-Revilutionary Petrograd. It has been reformed under the state policy in the field of literature and culture. Kuzmin’s reputation in the community of writers is strictly related to the tasks set by the founders of the Union. Kuzmin’s popularity rises in 1920–1921, when the Union has been considering its main goal a return to successive development of literature. Starting from 1923, since the development model for literature has changed, Kuzmin is gradually relegated to the periphery of the literary process.

Key words: Mikhail Kuzmin, The Union of Poets, Aleksander Blok, literary reputation.

Aleksandra Pakhomova

Mikhail Kuzmin in the Petrograd Branch of the All-Russian Union of Poets

These notes come together to explore the literary heritage of Pavel Muratov (1881–1950). The first one argues against Daniela Rizzi to reveal the historic source of „The Tyrannicides“ (1923), a short story, in the circumstances of the murder of Galeazzo Maria Sforza in 1476 The second shows the irony of the final draft of „The Ambassador“ (1928), likewise a short story, to spring from the waves Jean Cocteau made in the literary circles by the publication of his „Lettre b Jacques Maritain“. The third sheds new light on the attack of the young Lev Kassil on Muratov on the pages of „Za Rubezhom“ (1931). As it was, Kassil, a mere hack, wrote on Gorky’s spur, never bothering to even get to know who Muratov was.

Keywords: Pavel Muratov, short stories, commentary, Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Jean Cocteau, M. Gorky and Soviet writers.

Vsevolod Zelchenko

Three Marginalia to Pavel Muratov’s Prose

In this article I offer a comparative reading of a previously unpublished passage from the holograph draft of Vladimir Nabokov’s novel „Podvig“ and the novel’s two printed redactions: „Podvig“ and „Glory“. In particular, I demonstrate that in the initial draft of the novel, there was no trace of a paraphrapse of Lermontov’s poem „Vykhozhu odin ia na dorogu...“ („I walk along the road alone / My stony path spreads far, / Still is the night and cold the stone, / And star talks unto star“): this paraphrase appeared in the late stage of rewriting the draft.

Keywords: Vladimir Nabokov, „Podvig“ / „Glory“ (1932/1971), Mikhail Lermontov, „Vykhozhu odin ia na dorogu...“ (1841), subtext, textual criticism.

Grigori Utgof

„I Walk Along the Road Alone“
A Textological Note on Vladimir Nabokov’s „Podvig“ („Glory“)