1926

1926

1 FLOROVSKY, GEORGE. “Michael Gerschensohn.” Translated by D. S. Mirsky. The Slavonic Review (London) 5, no. 14 (December): 315—31.

A review of Gershenzon’s achievements in the field of social and intellectual history, written shortly after his death in 1925. Concludes with a section on Perepiska iz dvukh uglov [A correspondence from two corners] (pp. 329—31), finding in this work an explanation of why Gershenzon could not be a historian (“he aspired to escape from history, to get outside its bounds”). Sees the contrast of Gershenzon’s negation of civilization with Ivanov’s acceptance of it as deriving from “not so much a difference of outlook or philosophy as a difference in the very sensation and experience of life.” See Florovskii, 1937.3.

2 MIRSKY, D. S. “Vyacheslav Ivanov.” In Contemporary Russian Literature: 1881—1925. New York: Knopf (also London: Routledge), 205—09, 353—54 and passim. Reprint. New York: Kraus Reprint Co., 1972.

Summarizes Ivanov’s career up until his return to Moscow from Baku in 1924. Describes “Zimnie sonety” [Winter sonnets] and Perepiska iz dvukh uglov [A correspondence from two corners] as “among the most important monuments of the time.” Finds a “certain primitivism” in Kormchie zvezdy [Pilot stars], and regards Cor Ardens as the “high-water mark of the ornate style in Russian poetry.” “His verse is saturated with beauty and expressiveness.... ‘Byzantine’ and ‘Alexandrian’ are two very suitable epithets for his poetry, for it is all full of the product of past ages, very scholarly, conscious, and quite unspontaneous.” Compares Ivanov to Milton, finds that “most of his poems are metaphysical.” Praises his translations (“among the greatest achievements of Russian translated verse”) and prose works (“the most elaborate and majestic ornate prose in the language”). Several further references to Ivanov in sections on other writers can be traced through the index. Reprinted: 1949.12.

3 MURATOV, P. “Viacheslav Ivanov v Rime” [Viacheslav Ivanov in Rome], Zveno (Paris), no. 171 (9 May): 2—3.

In Russian. Describes Ivanov giving a lecture on Dionysus in Rome

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(around 1925) to an audience that included Zelinskii. Reflects on the importance of his teachings and influence as a representative of symbolism, viewed not as a “literary moment” of the past, but as an “eternal system of thought and feelings,” relevant to the lesser poets who followed and “overcame” symbolism. Reprinted: 1990.47.

4 NIKITINA, E. F. “Viacheslav Ivanov kak lirik” [Viacheslav Ivanov as a lyric poet]; “Ivanov, Viacheslav Ivanovich.” In Russkaia literatura ot simvolizma do nashikh dnei: Literaturno-sotsiologicheskii seminarii [Russian literature from symbolism to our times: A literary-sociological seminar]. With a preface by N. K. Piksanov. Moscow: Kooperativnoe izdatel’stvo pisatelei “Nikitinskie subbotniki,” 82—83, 323—25. Reprint. Leipzig: Zentralantiquariat der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, 1972.

In Russian. Contains a brief note and bibliography of primary and secondary works relating to Ivanov as a poet, and a biobibliographical outline of his literary career and works.

5 PIR [pseud.]. “Poeziia, vyshedshaia v tirazh” [Recently published poetry – Rather: Outdated poetry?  ]. Komsomoliia (Moscow), no. 5 (May): 66—67.

In Russian. A critical review of Nord: Stikhi [North: Verses] (Baku, 1926), an anthology of poems produced by a group of poets in Baku, including a brief and negative reference to Ivanov’s contribution. The poets have turned away from the challenge of socialist reconstruction of the world, and have cotton wool in their ears.

6 TIDEBÖHL, ELLEN VON. “Memories of Scriabin’s Volga Tour (1910).” The Monthly Musical Record, no. 6 (1 June): 168—69.

The author accompanied Scriabin on his concert tour of the Volga in the spring of 1910. Her record of the journey includes a brief description of a conversation with Scriabin in which he spoke of two equally great influences on him: Nietzsche’s work on the birth of tragedy and his views on art and Dionysus, and Ivanov’s collection of essays Po zvezdam [By the stars]. Scriabin lent the author his copy of the book (sent to him and inscribed by Ivanov), which she returned to him that winter in Moscow.

7 VITMAN, A. M.; POKROVSKAIA (KHAIMOVICH), N. D.; and ETTINGER, M. E. Vosem’ let russkoi khudozhestvennoi literatury (1917—1925): Bibliograficheskii spravochnik [Eight years of Russian literature (1917—1925): A bibliographical reference work]. Edited and with an essay by M. A. Rybnikova. Moscow and Leningrad: Gosudarstvennoe izdatel’stvo, 109—10. Reprint. Letchworth, Herts.: Bradda Books, 1972.

In Russian. Includes a brief bibliography of works by and about Ivanov.

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