Литературный факт (Dec 2019)
Zinaida Gippius reading works from her Paris library
Abstract
On the basis of printed materials in Russian, part of the Merezhkovskys’ private library in Paris, a few biographical facts about Zinaida Gippius are specified, alongside dating the foundation of the aforementioned library. Thus, the article contributes to the study of the Russian-language part of D.S. Merezhkovsky and Z.N. Gippius’ Paris library. Of particular value to researchers of Russia abroad as a special phenomenon and Gippius’ works of the émigré period are her notes on the margins, allowing to reconstruct her reflection of certain literary facts. The article also restores the history of some entries in the Merezhkovskys’ home library. The study of library entries allows to clarify and establish the sources Gippius used for a short story about the Men-of-God sect “He Has Descended” (1904), the articles “Bread of Life” (1901) and “Infatuation” (1904) as well as the poems “On Faith” and “Naked Thoughts” (1902). On the basis of D.S. Merezhkovsky’s notes important additions to the creative history and interpretation of his novel “Peter and Alexei” from the trilogy “Christ and the Antichrist”, as well as the study “L. Tolstoy and Dostoevsky”, are made. The final conclusion reflects the particular importance of the Merezhkovskys’ library in Paris, its composition and the exact time of its formation for the study of Gippius’ works, considering a small number of her own testimonies about her creative process.
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