On the Limits of the Ural Megasupertext in Russian Culture. Review of: Sozina, E. K. (Ed.). (2020). Istoriia literatury Urala. XIX vek [The History of Ural Literature. 19th Century]. (Books 1–2). Moscow: Izdatel’skii Dom YaSK. 1439 p.

Abstract

The book under review is the first research in the history of Russian philology aimed at structuring and comprehensive description of 19th-century Russian literature in the Urals. The monograph coauthored by the best scholars of regional fiction substantiates the term ‘Ural megasupertext’. The review raises a question about the outer limits and semantic capacity of the term. The History of Ural Literature gives an extended interpretation thereof, as the research subject comprises Russian as well as national literatures from the geographical Great Urals such as Bashkir, Komi, and Udmurt literatures. The authors look beyond the literary process research turning to studying the theatre and publishing trade which inevitably leads the ‘Ural text’ concept to extend. Besides, The History of Ural Literature comprises works by writers both directly connected with the region and those whose stay in the Urals was momentary. The review states that actual experience of writing monographs aimed at comprehensive construction of the history of literature demonstrates that each time scholars must consistently solve for themselves the fundamental issues connected with the capacity and structure of the research field.

Keywords

• урал
• мегасверхтекст
• русская литература
• национальные литературы
• геопоэтика
• идентичность