On the Biography of Vyacheslav Ivanov: “Even Wednesdays”

Abstract

The article examines the history of the latest literary and philosophical meetings in the legendary St. Petersburg salon of Vyach. Ivanov and L. Zinovieva- Annibal on Tavricheskaya St., known as “The Tower”. On the basis of archival, epistolary and memoir materials, an attempt is made to reconstruct the events and interpret their contradictory assessments by contemporaries, to find out the fullest possible circle of guests and the program of the evenings. The second season at “The Tower”, with its traditional meetings on Wednesdays, was organized by its inhabitants on even days, but due to the fire at first and then to the hostess’ illness, it actually ended after four meetings between October 1906 and February 1907. The work also supplements and clarifies some facts and circumstances familiar from the memoirs of visitors of the “Ivanov Tower” (N. Berdyaev, M. Sabashnikova).

Keywords

• literary societies
• vyacheslav ivanov’s “tower”
• life-creation
• rus- sian modernism
• m. kuzmin
• diaries
• correspondence
• archival documents